Deleted Scenes
by Ldylola
Summary: Re-watching for inspiration and content for my other story, and my mind started to wander. Things moved a little fast in the world of Outsiders, hope to provide my amateur insights on what I hope we missed. I don't own Outsiders or any characters, just slightly inappropriately obsessed.
1. Chapter 1

**Forgive the brief detour from Epilogue- needed to kick start the creative juices…..this leads up to THAT scene in Season 1 / Episode 5...the one that made the words "Come here" a little dirty and alot sexy. Reviews are appreciated and welcomed!**

 _ **Season One – Episode 5**_

"Hey - wait, wait, wait, wait, wait…"Hasil whispered, touching Sally Ann's Arm "Who lives here?"

"Lady from the church. Its okay, she's dead now." She reassured him, turning to open the window

"Okay….." Hasil said haltingly, he followed Sally Ann through the window and turned to closed it.

Sally Ann started lighting candles as she explained "She passed a couple of months ago. I come here to read some time. I like how quiet it is. Simple."

Hasil looked around; walking toward the candles Sally Ann lit "This's simple? You call this simple?"

Sally Ann smiled "I do."

"Don't the electric work?" Hasil asked

She nodded "It does, but I try not to use it to much. I don't want folks to know I'm in here."

"This is the nicest place I ever been in" Hasil remarked as they walked deeper into the house

"I'm starving" Sally Ann announced "Wanna help me fix something to eat?"

"Sure" Hasil said, following Sally Ann as she headed toward the kitchen

"The kitchens in the back and trees block the view from the neighbors, so we can turn the lights on in here" Sally Ann explained as she entered the kitchen

When Hasil walked in behind her, the first thing he noticed was the books. Stacks of them on the countertop and several on the table. "You read all them books?"

Sally Ann smiled "Not all of them. But I will…..I'm usually working on 2 or 3 at a time. I've been binging on poetry the last couple weeks." She turned and caught Hasil's puzzled gaze and explained "Binging is doing one thing too much."

"What's poetry?" he asked

Sally Ann tried to cover her shock at the question by turning to the refrigerator and opening the door "Well…..the best way I can describe it is word art. Like your tattoos are body art, poetry is an artful expression of…..anything, whatever the poet is feeling."

Hasil nodded, watching Sally Ann as she searched the refrigerator. "Can I help?"

"I don't have a lot of food here, cause I never know how often I'll get to come. Looks like were stuck with hot dogs and fries". Sally Ann said apologetically

"I ain't picky" Hasil said "Say, Sally Ann?"

"Hmmmm?" She answered, as she turned on the oven to start the fries

"Is this a date?" Hasil asked, smiling

Sally Ann laughed and turned her head to hide her blush "I guess it is... our first date"

Hasil stepped closer to Sally Ann "I think I like this better than going to a restaurant"

"Me too" She replied, locking eyes with Hasil.

He leaned forward and kissed her softly. As they broke the kiss, they lingered for a moment – foreheads touching. At that moment, they were the only two people in the world.

Sally Ann's growling stomach brought them back down to earth, as they both laughed at the sound.

She handed Hasil a pot "Fill this a little more than halfway please….." She asked as she turned to finish prepping the fries. Once the water was on the stove and the fries were in the oven, Sally Ann fixed them both a glass of ice tea.

As they sat at the table together, Hasil nodded toward her Poetry book "You got a favorite?"

Sally Ann nodded "It's hard to pick a one, but there's a couple I'm really feeling right now"

"Will you read one to me?" Hasil asked, smiling shyly

"First answer a question for me" Sally Ann said "Why me?

"How do you mean?" Hasil asked, confused

"You've been walking hours just to spend minutes with me the last couple weeks." She said, suddenly feeling shy herself "Why? You obviously know how to talk to girls, and I'm sure you don't have to come down here for company. So why me?"

Hasil took a deep breath; he wasn't sure how to put words to what he felt. "I could just tell you were as pretty on the inside as you are on the outside. Folks down here don't look too kindly on us; they just see whatever they think of us and not who we are. You saw me. Then you smiled and my chest got tight….something grabbed ahold of my heart…something warm that felt right. Still feel that way, stays with me even when I ain't around you"

Hasil moved to sit in the chair next to Sally Ann, resting his arm on the back of her chair. "Why didn't you tell me to leave you be?"

She giggled and turned to look at him "I did!"

Hasil smiled and nodded "Alright, then why didn't you mean it?"

Sally Ann turned away from him and shook her head "You're so sincere and genuine, after that first day you walked me home and seeing how you looked at me…I literally feel a pull, something is drawing me to you. It scared me at first, but not anymore. I like it – I like you and I really like how I feel when I'm with you."

"Look at me" Hasil asked quietly. As she turned and there eyes met, he said "I care for you, in a way I ain't never cared for anybody before. You're important to me and I mean to do right by you."

Sally Ann didn't know what to say, and even if she did – she wasn't sure she could speak. She nodded and leaned forward to meet his lips for a slow kiss that quickly deepened, stopping only when they needed air.

They sat quietly for a few moments, Sally Ann resting her head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped around hers. The silence was broken by the water boiling, signaling the hot dogs were ready. She got up and moved them off the burner.

Sitting back down, she said "Fries should be done in a few minutes, and then we can eat. Do you wanna hear my new favorite poem?"

Hasil grinned "Course I do!"

Sally Ann pulled a piece of paper out of one of the books on the table "Maya Angelou is my favorite writer. I just discovered this poem, it wasn't in any of her books I have. It's called "Touched by an Angel"

 ** _We, unaccustomed to courage  
exiles from delight  
live coiled in shells of loneliness  
until love leaves its high holy temple  
and comes into our sight  
to liberate us into life._**

 _ **Love arrives**_  
 _ **and in its train come ecstasies**_  
 _ **old memories of pleasure**_  
 _ **ancient histories of pain.**_  
 _ **Yet if we are bold,**_  
 _ **love strikes away the chains of fear**_  
 _ **from our souls.**_

 _ **We are weaned from our timidity**_  
 _ **In the flush of love's light**_  
 _ **we dare be brave**_  
 _ **And suddenly we see**_  
 _ **that love costs all we are**_  
 _ **and will ever be.**_  
 _ **Yet it is only love**_  
 _ **which sets us free.**_

"I like that. She's saying love makes you stronger and helps you be brave enough to do things that scare you" Hasil said, stealing a quick kiss "Like asking a low lander girl on a date"

"Yes!" Sally Ann said, with a smile "like taking a Shay Mountain Farrell to your secret place"

They were interrupted by the oven timer. Sally Ann stood and moved toward the stove "Finally, I'm starving!" She took the fries out and set them on the stove.

Grabbing an old iPod she kept here, she turned back to Hasil "If we're gonna have a real date, we need some music". She turned on the small Bluetooth speaker in the corner and started some music. As Maxwell's Pretty Wings played, Sally Ann moved to grab some plates.

Hasil filled up the ice tea glasses and moved close to Sally Ann "What you need me to do?"

"Hot dogs are easy, so not much." She said, handing him two plates of food. "Can you set these on the table?"

Sally Ann grabbed some ketchup and napkins and joined Hasil at the table.

"What kind of meat is this?" Hasil asked, eyeing the hot dogs

"Turkey. They kinda grind up different parts for hot dogs." Grabbing the ketchup, she put some of both her hot dogs "I like mine with ketchup and mustard."

Sally Ann handed the ketchup to Hasil and he followed her lead and put it on his hot dogs, then accepted the mustard and did the same.

"Have you ever had a hot dog before?" She asked, lifting hers to take a bite

"Never, we don't have nothing like this on the mountain." He replied, again following her lead and lifting it to take a bite

"Taste okay?" She asked

Hasil nodded "Don't taste like no turkey I ever ate – but its good."

They chatted easily as they ate, enjoying the music and each other's company. Sally Ann took Hasil's plate along with hers and put them in the sink. As she turned back to Hasil, Maria Maria by Carlos Santana began playing. "This is my song!" She exclaimed, turning up the volume and moving to the music.

"Can you dance?" She asked Hasil, with a smile as she continued to move with the rhythm

"To this?!" He shook his head, smiling "Can you teach me?"

Sally Ann held out her hand and Hasil stood to join her. "Its salsa, watch my feet. You kinda step out and bounce back, either side to side or front to back."

Hasil stood next to Sally Ann and copied her movements, she was surprised at how graceful he was. "Like this?"

"You got it!" She turned to face him and took both of his hands and they did a few steps together. "Relax a little and let your hips and arms move with the music." She stepped closer until there hips were touching and guided his movements with hers.

Hasil's world narrowed to the feel, smell, and sound of Sally Ann. Nothing else existed. Nobody else mattered. She stepped back, still dancing and spun around. Her eyes were closed and she was moving with the music, a blissful smile on her face. As she came back to him, he put his arm around her waist and took her hand - doing his best to move with her. Opening her eyes she smiled as she put her arm around his neck and accepted his hand.

Sally Ann wasn't sure what she was feeling. But she knew what she wasn't feeling – sadness, fear, worry. Or that trapped feeling that gripped her like a vice every time she opened the door to what was supposed to be her home. Happy, for the first time since the last time she saw her mama. She felt free…..to be herself, to laugh, to see the joy in life and embrace it. Seeing herself through Hasil's eyes, she felt beautiful and hopeful.

Lifetime by Maxwell was the next song on the playlist, and they seamlessly moved from a slow salsa to a lazy sway. Sally Ann put both her arms around Hasil's neck and laid her head on his shoulder.

Hasil pulled her close, relaxing into her warmth. He was sure should could feel his excitement, there was no hiding it. He was a little mortified, but not enough to let go of her unless she asked him too.

Sally Ann started to sing along in her head….

 _ **Ooh and I, I can let my life pass me by**_  
 _ **Or I can get down and try**_  
 _ **Work it all out this lifetime**_  
 _ **Work it on out this time**_

 _ **I can let it all pass me by**_  
 _ **Or I can just try and try**_  
 _ **I can move to the light**_  
 _ **Oh if I take it one day at a time (oh I)**_  
 _ **Oh spread my love out and fly**_  
 _ **Oh I (I can move to the light)**_  
 _ **Ooh I can just make you understand**_  
 _ **That love is not a fairytale in a melody**_  
 _ **If you want it you can have it girl**_  
 _ **Maybe you will see, maybe you will see**_  
 _ **Lifetime, lifetime**_

"I want him" she said to herself "I want this. Stop worrying and take it one day at a time."

As the song came to a close Sally Ann pulled back and looked at Hasil. They stared at each other for a moment, and she moved forward to kiss him lightly. Hasil deepened the kiss as he tightened his hold on her, his hands moving under her blouse to her bare back. As the electricity of his touch pulsed through her, Sally Ann moved forward forcing him backward into the wall. Hasil quickly reversed there positions, pinning her to the wall as his lips moved to her neck. Sally Ann threw her head back to allow him full access. Moaning, she gripped his hair and managed to find her voice. "Couch….."

Hasil immediately lifted her up, his lips barely breaking contact with her neck. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he walked them into to sitting room. He turned and sat down with Sally Ann straddling his lap. As there kisses and touches became more urgent, Hasil shifted to lay Sally Ann down on the couch.

"Wait!" Sally Ann said breathlessly.

Hasil stopped immediately and looked at Sally Ann. Raising his hand to her face, he said "We don't have to…"

Sally Ann stopped him "It's not that, I want to…..I really want to…." She said, kissing him. "I just want it to be perfect"

Hasil smiled "I don't know how it could get more perfect…."

"I know its silly, but….." she started

Hasil stopped her with a kiss "Tell me what you want" he said when they came up for air

"There's a mattress in one of the rooms, maybe we could bring it in here? Light some candles and bring in the music?" She asked, suddenly feeling shy

"That sounds like a fine idea" He agreed "C'mon, show me where the mattress is and I'll get it moved."

Once they had the room set up, Sally Ann excused herself to go the bathroom. Looking at her face in the mirror, she saw a light in her eyes that she didn't recognize. She realized she deserved to be happy.

Walking back to the sitting room, she saw Hasil in the corner undressing.

Smiling she asked "What are you doing?"

Looking up, he asked "What's it look like I'm doin?"

"It looks like you've…..got your clothes off" She said, leaning against the door frame to watch

"Nooo" Hasil replied, taking off his long underwear "Now there off"

Sally Ann didn't allow her expression to change, but she thought to herself "Damn….."

Hasil gestured to her "Come here"


	2. Chapter 2

Season One/Episode 5 – Part 2

"Hasil! I have to go home!" She said tersely, and scrambled up, hurrying to the bathroom carrying her clothes and bag.

Hasil was stunned, unsure of what just happened. She checked her phone and said she was late, then got upset? Or was it worried? Or scared? He shook his head and rose to get dressed, he needed to walk her home to see she made it safely.

In the bathroom, Sally Ann leaned against the door taking deep breaths. She was amazed at how quickly she could go from relaxed happiness to panicked fear.

She put her clothes on the sink and grabbed her phone to text Naomi.

" _ **Hey Girl, has James been looking for me?"**_

She turned on the shower, so she could quickly rinse off.

Her phone alerted, it was Naomi " ** _Nope. You ok?"_**

" ** _I'm good. Ok if I tell him I was a your house tonight?"_** Sally Ann responded

Her reply came quickly " ** _I got you girl. What's going on?"_**

Relieved, Sally Ann replied " ** _TY! I'll explain tomorrow, but its good."_**

Naomi responded **_"Is this about your date? You better call me first thing tomorrow!_** "

Sally Ann replied with a happy face emoji and stepped into the shower.

Quickly rinsing off, Sally Ann was nervous about going home but it still didn't dampen her excitement about her evening with Hasil. He probably thought she was crazy after the way she ran off, but the text from James was a startling snap back to reality.

Drying off and dressing, she knew she wanted to continue to see Hasil, but had to figure out a way to do it without her brother finding out. James was really good at making her miserable, and she worried he would hurt Hasil.

She stepped out the the bathroom to find Hasil waiting at the end of the hall. "Hey" She said

"Hey" he replied, clearly concerned "You alright?"

"Yeah" She smiled shyly walking toward him "I just didn't realize how late it was."

"You got pretty upset." Hasil observed, he was standing in the doorway – forcing her to stop and face him. "You sure that's all?" Raising his hand and touching her face "Seemed like you was worried or scared."

Sally Ann met his eyes, shocked that he read her so well. She could see he was genuinely concerned. Trying to reassure him, she said. "I just promised I'd be home earlier and I don't want my family to worry or call the law to look for me." She laid her hand on his chest and leaned in for a kiss "I'm okay, promise."

Hasil wasn't completely convinced, but nodded and pulled her in for a hug. "Alright, we better get you home then." Releasing her, they walked together back toward the living room. "I put the mattress back and took care of most of the candles."

"Thanks" she said, heading toward the back "let's just make sure everything is off in the kitchen."

As they walked into the kitchen, she could see that he'd placed her speakers back on the counter top. She made sure the stove and oven were both off, and turned to grab her poetry book and printed poem she'd read to Hasil from the table.

Pointing toward the paper, Hasil said shyly "If it ain't no trouble to get another one, I'd sure like to have that"

Sally Ann smiled and handed it to him "I can easily print another copy."

"Thank you" Hasil said quietly, folding the paper and putting in his pouch. "We better go, don't need the law out looking for you."

They walked down the hall and Sally Ann turned on her phone flashlight while Hasil took care of the last two candles. They climbed out of the same window they came in and Sally Ann led the way toward the wooded area.

They found the trail and held hands as they walked toward the street.

"I wish we didn't have to leave" Sally Ann said "tonight was so perfect…."

"Me too, its gonna be hard to go back up the mountain and leave you down here" Hasil responded quietly

"When will you be back?" She asked

"I can come down day after tomorrow" he said "Can I see you then?"

Sally Ann nodded "I'd like that. I should be able to get back to the house, I'll be off work. I'll put the little bird on the porch to let you know I'm there."

"In the morning?" Hasil asked

"Early afternoon, I'm have to go to the laundromat in the morning." She replied

Hasil stopped and turned to her, confused "Go to the where?"

"Laundromat. It's a place where people can take there clothes and wash them if you don't have a washing machine at home" she explained "which we don't, so I go there once a week to wash our clothes."

"Laundromat" Hasil said to himself, he'd try to find it if he got down early enough

As they reached the edge of the wooded area across from Sally Ann's house, she turned to him and said "I meant what I said about being happy. I haven't felt this good in a long time."

"I ain't never felt this good" Hasil said, reaching out to touch her face "This was the best night of my life Sally Ann."

Sally Ann sighed "Day after tomorrow seems like a long time from now…"

"Come here" Hasil said pulling her close for a long kiss.

They were interrupted when Sally Ann's phone alerted. Breathless she pulled back and said "I better go."

Hasil sensed she didn't want him to walk her to the door. Nodding he released her after stealing a quick kiss "I'll wait here till I see you're safely inside. G'night Sally Ann"

She smiled and squeezed his hand before letting go "Goodnight Hasil, see you soon….."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3**_

 _ **Season 1/ Episode 9 – Between Haylie releasing Hasil and Asa showing up**_

 _ **One of my favorite episodes and scenes, hope you enjoy - reviews appreciated!**_

* * *

"Welcome to the team" Haylie said, standing to untie Hasil "Let's get you out of here."

Hasil immediately stood, stumbling slightly. "Ahhh!" He exclaimed, he hurt everywhere. His hand went to his side and he bent forward – trying to catch his breath.

"Maybe we should get you to a doctor" Haylie said

"No" Hasil said, straightening slowly and probing his sides "No. I'll take that money and my knife and be on my way."

"You at least need to clean up; you can't walk around like that!" Haylie explained "Let me get…."

"No ma'am, I want to get as far away from this place as I can. Just give me what's mine so I can go." Hasil said in a tone that left no room for argument

Haylie turned to pick up her portfolio and pulled out an envelope. She counted out $1000 and handed it to Hasil. "If the police see you walking around like that, you'll get picked up. This only works if the police aren't involved"

Breece walked down the stairs "Them boys are out in the garage, they won't bother you none."

"Thank you." Hasil said, turning to Breece "I just need my knife, and I'll be leaving"

Breece hesitated, not wanting to put a weapon in Hasil's hands. "I don't know about….."

Hasil interrupted "That knife's all I got left of my Fa." He said quietly "I leave here without it and I'm coming back with the police"

Breece locked eyes with Hasil, through all the blood and bruising could see this was important to him. He nodded and gestured for them to follow him upstairs.

While Haylie was downstairs talking to Hasil, Breece had told the boys they needed to wait in the garage until they got Hasil out of the house. "Ya'll take anything off him?" He'd asked

"A knife" Jake said, turning to retrieve it from the end table "He sure put up a fight about it. Took all 3 of us to get it off him." He handed it to Breece.

"Ya'll go on and wait out there, Ms. Grimes is gonna want to talk to you when this is done." Breece said. He put the knife in a drawer before going downstairs.

Taking the knife from the drawer, Breece handed it to Hasil. "What they done to you is wrong, I'm sorry." He said sincerely

Hasil nodded and turned toward the door.

"Wait!" Haylie said "At least let Breece drop you off somewhere." She pleaded "Someone will call the police if you're seen walking around looking like that. Please."

"Alright" Hasil agreed. He wanted to go to the church ladies house again to see if Sally Ann was there. If she wasn't, he could at least clean up, eat, and rest. "You can take me to that gas station at the north edge of town."

Satisfied, Haylie said "Do you know where the Coal Company offices are?" Hasil nodded and she continued "Come by and see me next week to let me know what kind of progress you're making with your family."

Hasil nodded and turned to follow Breece out.

Breece gestured toward his truck. Hasil climbed in gingerly and sat back.

"You sure you don't want to see a doctor?" Breece asked

Hasil shook his head in response, silently leaning back against the window.

They rode in silence; Hasil's labored breathing filling the air. Breece hated what they did; this isn't what he signed up for. As they arrived at the gas station, Breece pulled over. Without looking at Hasil he said "We just want to be able to live and take care of our families, make a home for them. We don't want to hurt anybody."

"We want the same" said Hasil "Only we ain't gotta run good folk out of there homes to do it." Opening the door, he slowly stepped down from the truck. "Thank you kindly" he said, closing the door and walking away.

Breece watched him disappear into the wooded area. Gripping the steering wheel, he was overcome with emotion. He couldn't let this get out of control, he had that kid's blood on his hands and it made him sick. The Farrells needed to come off the mountain, but not this way. He'd find a way to get these boys under control and do this the right way.

* * *

Hasil walked to the edge of the wooded area and looked toward the house. He moved along the tree line until he could see the porch, he stopped and his heart leaped. It was there! The little bird he gave her that night in the store was on the porch.

He turned and moved back toward the side of the house with the open window. As he approached, it crossed his mind this could be a trap. That fella told him them boys was in the garage, but what if they knew he would come here and were just trying to get him away from the coal lady?

He circled all the way around and didn't see that truck anywhere. Approaching the house, he peered into the window and didn't see anybody. "I'll just go on in quiet like" he thought to himself "them jackasses couldn't stop running off at the mouth last night, I'll surely hear em if they're here"

He eased the window open and looked inside, he could hear music coming from the direction of the kitchen – but couldn't see anybody. Carefully, he climbed in the window and stood still for a moment – clutching his side and breathing deeply.

Hasil took a few steps forward and his foot landed on a floorboard that creaked loudly. He stopped as he heard a chair move in the kitchen…then he heard her voice "Hello?"

Moving into the shadows, he answered "It's Hasil"

"Hasil!" She exclaimed. He heard her hurried steps coming down the hallway.

"Wait! Stop right there Sally Ann" he said. The foot steps stopped. "Anybody else here?" He asked

"No" she responded "Your cousin Asa came looking for you earlier, but he's gone. Why?"

"Well I had me a bit of trouble, but I don't want you to get scared when you see me….." Hasil said, his voice shaky

"Hasil….." she said, detecting a tremor in his voice "Are you okay?" She started walking slowly toward the sound of his voice.

He knows he must look a frightful mess, the coal lady told him as much – three times. "I'm a little hurt, but it ain't as bad as it looks." He promised. "Alright? Don't get upset"

Sally Ann didn't hear much after "I'm a little hurt" – she moved quickly toward the sound of his voice. She rounded the corner to see him standing behind the chest, leaning against the wall.

When she came face to face with Hasil, she threw her hand over her mouth to muffle her scream.

Hasil reached for her "I'm alright" he said calmly

"No you're not!" She exclaimed "You have to go to the hospital!"

"Shhhh! Its okay, nothings broke…." Hasil assured her, grabbing her hand

She did a double take "Nothings broke? It looks like half your face is broken!" She shouted, tears starting to fall

"Sally Ann….." he said soothingly

"Who did this to you?!" She demanded, her voice breaking

"Hey, come on now…..you gotta calm down" Hasil said

She was not calming down "We need to go to the hospital and call the police!"

"Stop!" Hasil said firmly, moving his hand to her face "Look at me Sally Ann. I'm gonna be alright. I been hurt worse than this before, it's gonna be fine. I ain't going to no hospital and I don't wanna talk to the police. I just need you to trust me, okay?"

They stood close, eyes locked…..Sally Ann's heart slowed and she realized she did trust him, probably more than anybody else.

She took a deep breath and nodded. "Alright….Okay…..lets try to get you cleaned up."

Hasil leaned forward and kissed her softly "Missed you" he whispered against her cheek

Sally Ann responded through tears "I'm sorry I said those horrible things…"

Hasil interrupted "Uh uh…ain't nothing to be sorry for, and you ain't gotta be scared no more. Okay?"

"How about thankful then….. that you came in after me when I was in trouble and came back here after I ran off….." she said, laying her head on his shoulder

"I said I wasn't gonna let you go, and I sure ain't gonna stand by and let nobody harm you. Nobody." He said fiercely

Sally Ann smiled to herself as the warmth of his words washed over her. Lifting her head from shoulder, she moved her lips to his and whispered "Missed you" and softly kissed him. "C'mon, I think there's a few things we can use in the bathroom to get you fixed up."

* * *

"That's good, it said to rinse 5 times to make sure it's clean" Sally Ann handed Hasil a towel to dry his face. She gathered a few things from the medicine cabinet and said "Let go in the kitchen, the light's better."

Hasil sat down and Sally Ann brought him a glass of water and 4 Advil. "Take this" she said

"What are these?" Hasil asked

Sally Ann replied "Advil, its medicine. It'll help with the pain and swelling."

"Thank you" Hasil said, taking the pills and quickly downing the water.

"Thirsty?" Sally Ann said

"I ain't had nothing to eat or drink since yesterday morning" Hasil replied

"Good Lord! Okay, let me get you some more water and some ice for the swelling, then I'll fix you something" she said

She emptied two ice trays into a ziplock bag and wrapped it in a paper towel. "Hold this on the swelling" she said "And you're sure nothing is broken?"

Hasil placed the ice pack over the swelling "You mean besides half my face?" He teased, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her close and resting the unbruised side of his face on her belly

She stroked his hair "Well, you looked like the Elephant Man – it was scary. I don't like to see you hurt."

"Who's the Elephant Man?" Hasil asked, as his hand slid down her backside to her smooth legs. Before she could answer he declared "I really like these short pants ….."

Sally Ann smiled "Just shorts, not short pants – and thank you. We'll watch the movie Elephant Man someday so you can see who he is." She bent down to kiss the top of his head "Let me get you something to eat…."

Hasil tightened his grip, running his hand up her leg and under the bottom of her shorts "Did I tell you how much I like these short pants?"

Sally Ann chuckled and said "Ummm hmmm, you might have mentioned that. Let me get you fed, then we can talk some more about the short pants." Pulling back she bent to give him a quick kiss. "And keep that ice on there"

Hasil smiled "Yes ma'am"

Sally Ann quickly made Hasil a plate of leftover spaghetti and green beans. "I got paid so I picked a few groceries before I came back. We should have enough food for a week or so." She said, placing the plate in the microwave

"I almost forgot, I got paid too" Hasil said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the money Haylie gave him

"Paid for what?" Sally Ann said, accepting the money from Hasil and counting it

"Coal lady offered me a job, wants me to tell my kin about the houses they're building" Hasil responded

"This is a thousand dollars!" Sally Ann was shocked "Why would she give you that much? When did you see her?"

"Well, she cut me loose from those fellas who done this "he said gesturing toward his face

"Wait, What?! People from the coal company did this?!" She exclaimed "And then gave you money?!"

"Yeah, I know it's so I won't got to the police. I sure ain't gonna be …..hey, hey…..don't do that" He stood, alarmed to see Sally Ann starting to cry

"I can't believe they would actually do this and think giving you money makes it right" She said as Hasil took her in his arms. Resting her head on his shoulder, she took a moment to compose herself. Without looking up, with a trembling voice she asked "Was it my brother?"

Hearing the pain in her voice, Hasil didn't hesitate "I didn't know none of em."

She exhaled; relieved at least the James wasn't involved. "You shouldn't work…."

"I ain't" Hasil interrupted "We'll give most of the money to Asa when he comes back and hold on to enough to keep us fed while we figure what to do."

Sally Ann nodded and took a deep breathe to calm her nerves

"Hey" Hasil said stepping back and cupping her face "Look at me….its gonna be alright. We're together, we got a safe place to sleep, and we got food. It's been a real hard week, let's just enjoy each other and let our hearts and bodies heal up." He said, kissing her forehead "No more worrying, no more tears – we already done our fair share of that. Okay? Nobody who looks this good in short pants ought to be sad"

Sally Ann laughed and nodded "Okay, I'll try. C'mon, you need to eat. Sit back down; let me get your plate"

Sally Ann insisted on holding the ice pack in place while Hasil ate. After his second plate, Sally Ann removed the ice pack and looked at his face closely. "The swelling is going down."

"I'm feeling better. The food was good, thank you. What's that?" He asked as Sally Ann squeezed something onto her fingers and started rubbing it on his face "Ahh…careful….."

"It's an antibiotic ointment to help heal and keep infection away. There, now I've used all my doctor skills. You should lie down and get some rest" She suggested

"WE should lie down and get some rest" Hasil countered, somehow managing to look sexy with one eye swollen shut. Standing, he held out his hand and led her to the sitting room. He sat down on the couch while she grabbed a pillow, and he leaned back carefully.

Sally Ann threw her leg over his hips to settle on his lap

"Be careful! Careful….careful…..careful…" Hasil cautioned

"Okay, I'll be careful! I can make it better…" She said, leaning forward to kiss him

Hasil took a deep breath "Mmmm hmmm"

They were interrupted by a knock on the door

"It's Asa" they heard. Sally Ann went to answer the door and Hasil slowly got to his feet.

"Hey, Hasil here?" Asa asked, walking in "Jesus Christ! What the hell happened to you?"

"Got me a job" Hasil answered

"What do you mean you got a job?" Asa questioned

Sally Ann went to grab the money for Asa, upset again about having blood money. "He got it, and he quit already" she said tersely "here"

"Hey, Hey" Hasil said, touching her chin, his eyes reminding her - no more worrying

"We kept a little bit for ourselves, the rest of that's for you" Hasil explained

Asa was speechless

"If there's anything I can do to help Cousin" Hasil promised

"Look I'm…." Asa started

"He needs to rest" Sally Ann interrupted, her eyes reminding Hasil – let our hearts and bodies heal

Turning to Asa, he said "She's the boss"

Asa nodded and backed away toward the door. Sally Ann turned to Hasil "Lie down….."

She locked the door after Asa and turned back to Hasil, smiling as she walked toward him. "I'm the boss?" She asked with a smile, as she gently straddled him out the couch

As much as he wanted her, Hasil hurt all over "I think I may be…I might be…..a little bit hurt for that" he said, placing his hands on her hips.

Sally Ann settled in his lap and leaned forward to kiss him…"Hurt here…here…."

With the first kiss, Hasil's body told him he wasn't that hurt. He smiled"Just take your shirt off"


	4. Chapter 4

**_Chapter 4 - Season 2/Episode 8_**

Hasil let out a breath and looked up at Sally Ann, raising his hand to her stomach he responded "Anyway there's something I gotta do for my family."

Sally Ann nodded, trying to control her fear "Its okay, I …"

Taking her hand and raising it to his lips, Hasil interrupted ..."Here, Sit down with me" moving over to give her space to sit. "I'm sorry" he began "I was upset, but I shoulda just told you what happened."

Hasil was exhausted and had slept very little last night. He knew Sally Ann deserved to know the truth, but telling her everything would lead to two things – it'd really upset her and she'd just worry more about him – and it could get her in trouble with the law. He couldn't deal with the first right now and he couldn't live with the second ever.

Looking down at there hands intertwined, he took a deep breath. "The Sheriff turned up at fight club. He told me stay out of town that night we was supposed to have our date, so I took off running. He followed me a good ways up the mountain."

"Do you think he was looking for you or was it just a coincidence?" Sally Ann asked

"I don't know, but I wasn't gonna ask him. I just grabbed my bag and ran." Hasil said, releasing her hand he sat back and closed his eyes "I stayed up there till I thought it was safe, then when I was leaving some of my kin wanted to go on a run so they came along. Coal company guards saw us, started shooting, and we all took off. They got…" Hasil stopped, his chest tight with emotion "They got Enoch, he went down right in front of me. We got separated and but the boys was able to get to him and carried him off. Them guards was still coming, so I took off again and lost em' in the marsh."

Sally Ann moved to sit on Hasil's lap facing him, cupping his face in her hands – she leaned forward to kiss him. "I'm so sorry" She whispered, wrapping her arms around him. They sat quietly wrapped in each other arms, comforting one another.

Hasil spoke first "You alright?"

Sally Ann nodded, pulling back to look at him "Yeah, I'm alright. I was so upset and worried that I didn't notice how upset you were. I'm sorry…"

Hasil interrupted "You ain't got nothing to be sorry about. You asked me to tell you….asked twice. I made you a promise that night at dinner then disappeared for two nights. You had every right to be upset."

"You kept your promise, even with all you went through" She said quietly

"Ain't nothing in this world I want more than you and our child. I'm always coming back" Hasil said "But I gotta stay out the way of the Sheriff. He said I was pretty identifiable, and I should leave town for good."

"When did he tell you that?" Sally Ann asked, surprised

Thinking quickly , Hasil replied "Same night he told me to stay out of town."

"You can't got back to fight club if he is looking for you there." Sally Ann said, frowning with worry

"I don't know if he was looking for me or if he just happened on me. I ain't never seen him there before, and nobody ever seemed worried about the law" Hasil said "Me and Butch can talk to Zack about it."

"In the meantime, you need a disguise" She declared

"A what?" He asked

Sally Ann moved off of his lap as she explained "A disguise - change the way you look so people don't recognize you" She grabbed her purse to look for her phone "We'll get some different clothes to cover up your tattoos. And a hat…..cause there is no way you're cutting your hair." She said with a smile as she dialed Frieda's number. Locking eyes with Hasil as she waited for an answer she said "I missed you."

Hasil smiled "I missed you too"

"Hey girl" Frieda answered

"Hey Frieda" Sally Ann replied

"You okay? Was he there?" Frieda asked

"Yes and Yes" Sally Ann answered

"And you don't sound irritated at all, so things are good?" She asked

"Not exactly" Sally Ann said "We need a favor. Do you think Hasil could borrow some clothes from Butch? 2 or 3 outfits until we can get something? And a hat? He has to try to blend in….."

"Sure. I can be back there in about 30 minutes." Frieda said

"Thanks Frieda – see you soon!" Sally Ann.

Looking at Hasil, she could see he was exhausted. Kneeling in front of him, she asked "You had anything to eat?"

He shook his head "I tried last night, but my belly was in knots. " Reaching for her hand, he continued "I'm good now that you're home."

"Why don't you take a quick shower?" Sally Ann suggested "I'll fix you some eggs and toast while you clean up."

Hasil leaned forward and took her face in his hands "How bout' you come with me and we make it a long shower?" He countered, leaning forward to kiss her forehead and working his way down to her neck.

Sally Ann wrapped her arms around him "Frieda will be here in about 25 minutes" she replied, pulling him in for hug, With her lips close to his ear, she said "and we're gonna need more than 25 minutes…"

Hasil smiled and pulled her close, his lips near her ear "for that way?"

Sally Ann laughed out loud "Yes, that way…..now get in the shower so I can fix you some breakfast!"

* * *

10 minutes later Hasil emerged from the bathroom and Sally Ann had a quick breakfast of eggs, toast, and juice on the table for them. They sat down together at their small table to eat.

"Tell me about your Cousin….." She asked

"His name is Enoch" Hasil said quietly "Me, him, and our cousin, Runt was real tight when we were kids. We did everything together, got in all kinds of trouble. Enoch usually went along to try and keep us from getting in too much trouble. He's a real good hearted boy"

Thinking back to that night Asa helped free them, Sally Ann asked "Was he the one who had the hurt leg?"

"Yeah" he said, surprised "That was him. I can't believe you remember him. His folks passed on when he was young too, a fire. We both ended up with Runt's folks for spell"

Reaching across the table to take his hand, she asked "You sure you don't want to go to him?"

Letting out a breath, Hasil shook his head "No, wouldn't make no difference now. I'll say a prayer for his spirit, but they'd have him buried by the time I got back up there." His tone changed as he added "Wish it was Big Foster we was burying, he's done more harm than the coal company."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Must be Frieda" Sally Ann said, rising to answer the door.

Hasil gathered the plates and took them to the kitchen.

"Hey! Blackburg Personal Styling at your service" Frieda greeted, carrying a clothes basket

"Hey Frieda" Sally Ann responded with a smile "Come on in"

"Hi Hasil" Frieda greeted

Hasil stepped forward to help Frieda with the basket "Hey Miss Frieda" Hasil replied "Thank you for coming."

"My pleasure Hun. So what's going on y'all?" Frieda asked. She and Sally Ann followed Hasil into the living room. He set the basket on the floor by the futon and stepped back to let the ladies sit down.

"Hasil needs to blend in a little bit more to stay off the Sheriffs radar." Sally Ann explained "I thought some different clothes would help. And a hat."

Frieda looked through the clothes and pulled out a pair of jeans and a T-Shirt, handing them to Sally Ann she asked "Why don't we start with these?" Turning back to the basket she pulled out a black ball cap and handed it to Sally Ann.

Sally Ann turned to Hasil, and could see he was less than thrilled about this idea. "Just try them on Babe, alright? If you wanna keep going to fight club, we have to figure out a way to disguise your appearance." She held out the items and waited.

With a sigh, Hasil nodded and took the the clothes. He silently headed toward the bathroom to change.

"Is he moping?" Frieda asked

"He doesn't normally wear shirts with sleeves in case you haven't noticed." Sally Ann said wryly

"So why are you making him?" Frieda asked

"I'm not making him! The Sheriff saw him at fight club and chased him back up the mountain." She explained "He needs to blend in, so we have to change his appearance some."

"I see. So y'all are okay? You're not moving to Cleveland?" Frieda asked

"We're good. Thank you Frieda, I appreciate you more than you know." Sally Ann said sincerely, reaching out to hug Frieda

"No thanks needed, that's what friends are for. We girls have to stick together, I'm always here if you need me." Frieda said, hugging Sally Ann. "I'm glad you're not moving to Cleveland."

Sally Ann laughed "Me too, on both counts."

"Come on out and show us!" Frieda yelled to Hasil

"Don't wanna" Hasil replied from the bathroom

Sally Ann looked toward the doorway "Babe, come on. Come on." She heard an exasperated sigh as Hasil trudged around the corner looking like the 6th Backstreet Boy.


	5. Chapter 5

Season 2 / Episode 5

 **In episode 6, Sally Ann and Hasil are talking about money and she tells him "I already told you, I'm not bringing the baby to visit you in jail". I thought that would be an interesting scene to visit, but ended up taking the scenic route. Hope you enjoy! Working on chapter 29 of Epilogue next…**

Butch was sympathetic "Look, I'm selling tonight. You don't need to help with that, but….its a crowded place. I could use someone to watch my back" he said "I'll kick you a couple bucks, easy money. What do you say?"

Clearly frustrated, Hasil agreed "Fine"

"Alright" Butch said, inhaling from the bong and breathing out – he continued "But you gotta use soap first man, please."

Hasil shot Butch an angry look, but decided to let it slide. Looking around he asked "Girls ain't back yet?"

"Nah should be soon though. Frieda just called and they're stopping for food" Butch responded

"Alright" Hasil said, he was starving. Standing, he grabbed his bag from the the end of the couch. "I'll go get cleaned up."

Butch handed him the money he threw "Hold on to this, it'll start adding up before you know it."

Hasil rolled his eyes and snatched the money, turning he walked toward the bathroom.

Tired and frustrated, Hasil stood under the hot water and tried to wash the disappointment of the day away. "How're we gonna do this?" He asked himself. Neither was welcome with the others family, they were alone with not much more than the clothes on their backs.

He looked at all the bottles and tried to remember which was which. There was soap for your body and soap for your hair, then the stuff you put on your hair after you wash it. "Nothin's simple down here" he said to himself – picking up one of the soaps, intent on using it to wash everything.

He didn't know how much money they needed, but what he walked away with today wasn't a good start. There hadn't been much time to talk since they got here, but Hasil knew they needed a plan. And he knew he needed to find a better way to earn that paper.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the bathroom door "Hasil?" Sally Ann called….

"Hey" he responded, peeking out from behind the curtain as she stuck her head in the door.

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know I was back. I'm gonna wash a load of clothes" She said, stepping in and grabbing his things off the floor "and I brought back some food."

"Alright, I'll be out shortly. You good?" He asked

Sally Ann nodded "Little bit of a rough day, but i'm okay. You?"

"Same here" Hasil replied

"We can talk over dinner" Sally Ann said

"Alright" he responded, as Sally Ann started to back out the bathroom he stopped her "Hey….C'mere"

Sally Ann came closer to the tub and Hasil leaned in for a kiss. He was tempted to pull her into the shower with him, but they'd had a long talk about her hair the last time he tried that. Foreheads still touching, he whispered "Missed you today"

Sally Ann smiled and said "I missed you too Babe. I'll let you finish up" she said, planting a quick kiss on his lips. "See you in the kitchen"

Hasil watched her walk out longingly, he missed her in more ways than one. But he knew she wasn't real comfortable here, they were both scared, and that they had some healing to do.

* * *

Sally Ann loaded the washer with the clothes she picked up from home. She was still on edge from the stress of the day. Frieda had been nice enough to drive her around; the first stop was the bank. Her last paycheck had been deposited, so she left the bank with $380.10 – everything she had.

Sally Ann had a plan for the day, and the next stop was to get a new phone. Her phone was on her brother's account and she didn't want James to be able to track or harass her. She set up her own account and they transferred her contacts and pictures to the new phone for her.

"Where to next?" Frieda asked as they walked back to the car

"You sure you don't mind? I can catch the bus now that I have …." Sally Ann asked

Frieda interrupted with a smile "You have no idea how glad I am just to get out of the house and have some female company. Really, I'm happy to hang."

Sally Ann smiled "Okay, well….thank you, it's nice to have a girlfriend to talk to who actually knows Hasil. I need to get to a computer; can we go to the library?"

Frieda smiled and started the car "We sure can."

"So how did you and Butch meet?" Sally Ann asked

"My folks wanted me to spend time with my Aunt, hoping she could talk me out of my transition" She answered "They promised if I came down for the summer, they'd start paying for my school again."

"Did they stop paying for your school because…..." Sally Ann asked

"Not exactly…I kinda diverted the funds from school, so things got a little rough when they figured that out." Frieda said with a smile "I thought my Mama was gonna have a heart attack."

"Oh my gosh Frieda!" Sally Ann exclaimed

"Yeah, I kept up my classes – I was studying psychology. I just took out loans and applied for grants and scholarships – so I could use the money they gave me for school to start my transition." Frieda explained "I felt bad; they were hurt by what I did."

"Where are you from?" Sally Ann asked

"Grew up in Kentucky…...Lexington, I was going to college in Berea." She answered "Anyway, I was here for a couple weeks and going stir crazy. I needed a joint like nobody's business. Somebody pointed me to Butch and we been together since the day we met. That was two years ago"

Sally Ann nodded "Were your folks upset you didn't come home?"

"Daddy is happy if I'm happy, but Mama won't see me or speak to me" she answered quietly

Sally Ann reached out and patted her arm "I'm sorry Frieda"

"What about you and Hasil? You're a pretty unlikely pair" Frieda asked, changing the subject

"Well we met when he came in with some of his family and stole a bunch of stuff from the store I was working in" She said, shaking her head at the memory "He started showing up and waiting around for me after work, kinda creeped me out. Then I started to talk to him and letting him walk me home, he was walking half a day down the mountain just to walk me home 3 or 4 times a week. I finally agreed to go on a date with him, and then when I showed up he was in the middle of getting tased."

Frieda laughed "What?!"

"Girl yes, tased and arrested." Sally Ann said, laughing with her "But he came back again, for me. He was so sweet and earnest and determined. Then we got together, then I broke up with him, then he came after me, and we got back together again, then I broke up with him again, then he came after me again but I was still mad and talking out the side of my neck, then I found out I was pregnant, and I went after him…and here we are."

"That's a lot of drama" Frieda commented

"Yeah, and I skipped over the most dramatic parts" She said "Now we're on our own and I don't know what we would have done if y'all hadn't let us stay. Thank you Frieda."

"We could use the good karma" Freida said

As they pulled into the library, Sally Ann asked "Have you ever been here before?"

Frieda parked the car "No, it looks beautiful – like it doesn't belong in Blackburg"

Sally Ann unbuckled her seat belt and grabbed her purse "C'mon, lets go in. I'll introduce you to my favorite librarian, Ms. Joyce"

* * *

They left the library 3 hours later, after having lunch with Ms. Joyce in the staff break room. Sally Ann applied for 3 jobs online, and had 2 others they were going to stop by so she could apply in person. She also had 2 appointments to look at apartments.

"That was fun, Ms Joyce is so nice!" Frieda

"She is really great; she got me through high school." Sally Ann shared "Let me text Naomi like I promised, I don't want her calling Ms. Joyce again."

 ** _Hey Naomi – it's Sally Ann. I'm okay, this is my new number._**

30 Seconds later her phone rang … Sally Ann smiled as she answered "Hey Nay"

"Hey Nay?" Naomi exclaimed "Heffa! You thought you could wreck your brother's car at the foot of Shay Mountain and disappear for 3 days and just TEXT ME?"

"How did you know about that?" Sally Ann asked

"James had Rodney run him out to get the car" She explained "and they gossip like old women. What happened?"

Sally Ann took a deep breath. "I'll tell you later, but I can't go home and I don't want James to know where I am."

"Okay Sis. Do you have a place to stay? Do you need anything?" Naomi asked "He told Rod you left with the clothes on your back"

"I'm okay for now, thanks Nay." She responded "Hey, does James have a check to pick up today?"

"Yeah, but he hasn't been by yet." Naomi said

"Will you let me know when he gets there?" Sally Ann asked "I'll go to the house while he's there and grab some clothes and my birth certificate and stuff."

Next to her, Frieda gasped and whispered "You promised Hasil…"

"Of course girl, I'll text you as soon as he gets here. You take care of yourself, okay?" She said

When Sally Ann hung up, she turned to Frieda "I promised Hasil I would stay away from James; he'll be 20 minutes away from the house when he is picking up his check"

"You also told him you wouldn't go by his house" Frieda reminded her

"Because I couldn't be sure if James would be there. If he is picking up his check, he isn't there and its safe for me to go" she explained "Please….I don't want to waste money on clothes. Plus I need my high school diploma, birth certificate, and social security card."

"Alright" Frieda said "But Hasil is gonna be pissed."

Sally Ann nodded "I know, but I'll deal with it to have more than one pair of underwear."

* * *

Sally Ann and Frieda were walking back to the car after looking at an apartment when the text from Naomi came. " ** _He's here! Will stall as long as I can"_**

"He's there! Can I drive?" Sally Ann asked "We are about 10 minutes away….."

"Sure" Frieda said handing her the keys "Let's go. How long do we have?"

Sally Ann started the car "To be safe, no more than 15 minutes once he leaves there"

Just as they pulled up, Sally Ann shared another text from Naomi " ** _He is walking out now!"_**

"Okay, its 4:18 right now, you better have your ass back in this car at 4:33" Frieda warned "Don't make me come in there"

"Okay!" Sally Ann said sprinting to the first door

"Pregnant people shouldn't run!" Frieda shouted "You could fall and break somebody!"

Sally Ann shook her head and smiled as she used her key to open the door "Frieda is crazy" she thought to herself.

Closing the door behind her, Sally Ann headed right for the hall closet and pulled out the box where they kept all the important documents. She looked through the box twice, her stuff was gone. She pulled out two more boxes from the closet and looked through them. "Really James?" She said aloud "You are SUCH a dick!"

Leaving the boxes on the floor, Sally Ann moved on to James's room. She searched his "secret" hiding places no luck. She checked her phone for the time – 4:26.

"Shit! Think Sally Ann….." She said aloud. Sitting on the floor, she closed her eyes – concentrating. She shot up from the floor and ran to the living room and pulled the couch away from the wall. She had a memory of helping her mother move the couch to hide something. Kneeling, she felt along the edge of the carpet until she felt a loose area and pulled it up. She pulled out an envelope and opened it to find her birth certificate, social security card, and high school diploma.

"Yes!" She exclaimed. Pulling out her phone, she looked at the time 4:31. Jumping up, she ran to her bedroom and grabbed a tote bag and quickly packed some clothes and underwear. Hurrying to the bathroom, she grabbed her shampoo and hair care products and threw them in the bag. She was out the door by 4:33 and speed walking to the car.

Frieda was now in the driver's seat with the car running. "Got em?"

"Yep, let's go!" Sally Ann replied

Frieda gunned the little Ford Escort and took off "So am I Thelma or Louise?" Frieda asked, laughing "I think I'm Thelma…she got Brad Pitt, right?…..I'm definitely Thelma…"

* * *

Butch and Frieda went on a run for supplies, so Hasil and Sally Ann found themselves alone for dinner.

"So how was the work?" She asked

"Not good. When it was time to get paid, he took money off for drinking his water and taking a leak." He reached into his pouch and took out the money he earned. "He didn't say nothing about taking off until the job was over. This's all I got"

Sally Ann looked at the two $20 bills Hasil handed her, upset that he was taken advantage of "I can't believe someone would do that!"

"I shoulda known something wasn't right, the other guy wouldn't take no water from him and didn't take no breaks" Hasil admitted, a little embarrassed "learned the hard way I guess"

Sally Ann reached across the table to take his hand "I'm sorry Babe"

Hasil squeezed her hand "Not your fault, but I didn't improve our predicament much. I'm gonna work with Butch tonight to…"

"Wait, what?" Sally Ann interrupted "You can't work with Butch. Butch sells drugs."

"I ain't selling nothing, I'm just gonna watch his back" Hasil explained

"If he gets arrested, they'll take you in just for being with him!" She exclaimed "The last thing we need is for you to end up in jail"

"Well I already told him I'd do it, it'll be fine – ain't nobody gettin arrested." Hasil said tersely

"I hope so, cause I'm not bringing the baby to visit you in jail" Sally Ann snapped

They locked eyes and Hasil softened first, reaching out and taking her hand. "Let's not fuss, alright? I'll be careful. Promise."

Sally Ann nodded "Alright, sorry it's been a long day"

"What'd you and Miss Frieda do?" He asked

Sally Ann went through most her day with Frieda and then tried to change the subject "I guess I'll try to figure out essentials and make a budget while you're out tonight so we can come up with a plan."

"Make a what?" Hasil asked

"A budget, a list of things we need to and how much they cost." Sally Ann explained patiently

Hasil nodded "You should take some money and get you some clothes; I'm good with what I brought down"

Sally Ann took a deep breath "About that…..I went home and got my papers and some clothes….."

Visibly angry, Hasil looked at Sally Ann "You went where?"

"James wasn't there….." she started

"You promised me you was gonna stay clear of him!" Hasil snapped

"I did, he wasn't there…." She pointed out

"And that you wouldn't go by there unless I was with you" he reminded her

"I made sure he wasn't there BEFORE I went, but I needed my clothes and stuff." Sally Ann answered defensively

"What if he had somebody in there waiting? Or watching to follow you?" Hasil asked

Sally Ann paused, she hadn't thought of either of those possibilities "I guess I didn't think about that. I just didn't want to spend money on clothes…"

"You don't want me to end up in jail then you don't go around him or anywhere he might be without me" he said forcefully "he puts his hands on you again and I'm…"

"Hasil!" She interrupted "He's still my brother."

"He ain't much of a brother if he thinks he's got a right to beat on you. You're my girl and you're carrying my child" Hasil stated firmly "It don't matter who he is if he tries to hurt you."

Sally Ann knew Hasil was right, and she was touched by his caring and protectiveness. She didn't want any harm to come to her brother, but it was nice to finally have someone who didn't want any harm to come to her.

She lifted her head and her teary eyes to meet his angry eyes "Okay, promise."

Seeing the tears, Hasil instantly softened. Pushing back his chair, he held out his hand "C'mere" he said softly

Sally Ann moved into his lap and they held each other tightly.

"We're family now" Hasil whispered in her ear "You're important to me and I can't….." his voice caught and he swallowed "I need you…."

Sally Ann took his face in her hands and leaned in for a kiss. "I need you too Hasil Farrell"


	6. Chapter 6

**Season 2 / Episode 6 - Between Hasil getting paid he and Sally Ann showing up at there new place.**

"Hasil Farrell, you're a rich man!" Butch exclaimed

Hasil looked down in shock at the stack of bills Butch placed in hand.

"Let's go man" Butch said, gesturing toward the exit. Hasil nodded and headed to the fighters area to grab his things.

When they got in the car, Hasil asked "How much money is this Butch?"

"Its $1140.00 man, which is crazy for your first night!" Butch replied

"How come its so much?" Hasil asked

"Fighters get a cut of what Zach gets for setting up the fight and a cut of the bets – if you win. Nobody'd seen you fight, so a lot of folks was betting against you." Butch explained "Now that they've seen you, that cut might not be so high – but Zach can charge more for getting in now. I took my cut off the top already, so that's a night piece of change "

"Your cut? How do ya mean?" Hasil asked

"It cost $150 to buy into the first fight cause you was the challenger, plus 20% as your manager." Butch responded "I like you and all man, but I ain't here for free."

Hasil nodded, he was grateful for Butch's help and friendship. He sure needed both right now.

"How do you think Sally Ann is gonna feel about you fighting?" Butch asked

Hasil sighed "I can't see her being real happy about it, but I ain't got much choice. Fighting is about the only thing I can do to make us paper right now."

"You ain't gotta tell her right away, we can come up with…" Butch started as they pulled up at his place.

Hasil shook his head "She don't miss much. She's gonna see this black eye and my hand being cut up and wanna know what happened. I'll worry about it tomorrow, I just wanna get cleaned up and lay down – I'm bone tired"

* * *

Sally Ann got tired of waiting up and went to bed at 1AM. She vaguely remembered Hasil kissing her forehead, his wet hair touching her face. She moved back to make room for him, raising her head as he slid his arm under her pillow before falling asleep again.

Stirring, Sally Ann stretched and turned to face Hasil. He didn't move, he was sleeping deeply. Studying his face, she noticed a bruise under his eye. As she raised up to get a closer look at his face, his arm slid off her shoulder and his hand rested between them. His knuckles were scratched and bruised as well.

"What in the world….." she said to herself. Looking closely, he seemed to be otherwise okay – she didn't see any other bruising and his breathing was even. Sally Ann slowly inched her way down to the end of the couch. Just as she started to swing her feet to the floor, Hasil grabbed her arm. She moved back to lay next to him.

Hasil sighed as he rested his head on her chest.

Sally Ann stroked his hair and said quietly "Hey, you alright?"

"Umm hmmm" Hasil responded, without lifting his head "you good?"

"Yeah. Everything go okay last night?" She asked

Hasil nodded and reached back into his pouch and handed Sally Ann the money he'd earned last night.

Shocked, she responded "Hasil…..what…..how….?"

Hasil interrupted "I know you got questions, but can we talk about it later? I'm wore out right now. I didn't rob it, I didn't sell nothing."

Sally Ann looked at the money in her hand and looked at Hasil, she could clearly see and hear that he was exhausted. But this was a lot of money….

Hasil opened his eyes and turned to look up at her, his eyes reminding her to trust him "I earned it."

She held his gaze for a moment before nodding "Thank you Baby…"

Hasil closed his eyes and smiled. Sally Ann kissed his forehead and slid off the couch as Hasil drifted off to sleep.

Sitting in Butch's chair, Sally Ann counted the money. $1140.00. In one night. How? He didn't steal it, he didn't sell anything, and he's been in a fight.

Fighting …..Sally Ann flashed back to Hasil fighting with James and winning, Hasil fighting with the deputy and winning, Hasil fighting 3 of his cousins when they found them together on the mountain – and even though there was 3 of them he was holding his own until the 4th one grabbed Sally Ann and threatened to hurt her.

She looked over at Hasil sleeping on the couch, touched by the sacrifices he was making. Maybe he does love me….maybe I should just tell him how I feel. Fear rose in her throat at the thought….If she told him she loved him, it would just hurt worse when he left.

* * *

Sally Ann and Frieda sat on the front steps of the apartment talking. Both boys were still asleep and they were trying not to disturb them.

"Hasil was in a fight last night" Sally Ann said

"What?! Why do you think so?" Frieda asked

"He has a black eye and one of his hands is all scratched up and bruised." She responded "Did Butch look okay?

Frieda smiled "Honey, Butch couldn't fight his way out of a open paper bag. Then the paper cuts from trying would send him running to the emergency room. Butch is fine."

Sally Ann smiled "That's the opposite of Hasil. I don't know if its right to be using this money …"

"Excuse me?" Frieda interrupted "Listen, I've become real fond of you the last couple days and I feel like we're friends – so I'm just gonna say this. You ain't in a position to be picky about how he makes money – you don't have a job and he can't get a job. If he is willing to fight to provide, literally, you gotta work with him on that"

Sally Ann was startled, but she took a minute to absorb the advice and knew Frieda was right. Turning to her friend, she replied "We are friends, thank you for the reality check. I'm new at this grown and pregnant and having a man thing…..in the fairy tales, it doesn't all happen at the same time"

Frieda smiled "Fairy tales are over rated. I think y'all are gonna be fine"

"I'm gonna call Mr. Jeffers and see if that apartment is still available." Sally Ann said

"Don't sound to eager, let him know you're still shopping around – he'll offer you a deal to come sign the lease." Frieda warned "Don't be shy about counter offering, he needs a renter more than you need a place."

* * *

Sally Ann felt proud, she took Frieda's advice and was able to get Mr. Jeffers to agree to $50 off the rent each month and he cut the security deposit to $200. For $750, they could move in today.

Walking back inside, she found the Butch playing video games and the couch empty. "Where's Hasil?"

"He just got up, went to the bathroom." Butch said

"Yes, cause Lord forbid "getting his game on" be delayed" Frieda said sarcastically as walked in to sit on the couch

Sally Ann figured Hasil would be hungry, and she hadn't eaten either. She headed to the kitchen to get something fixed. As she was putting bread in the toaster for egg sandwiches, Hasil joined her in the kitchen.

"Hey" he greeted "Good morning"

Turning to face him, Sally Ann tried not to concentrate on his black eye – she responded "Morning. You hungry? I'm making ham and egg sandwiches"

"That sounds good" Hasil replied "How long you been up?"

"Couple hours. I took my shower, then me and Frieda sat on the porch to talk so y'all could sleep" She explained "You looked like you needed it."

Sally Ann handed Hasil a plate with two sandwiches on a glass of juice. She grabbed her sandwich and juice and they sat down at the table together.

"So, the money you earned last night….." Sally Ann started, hoping Hasil would jump in and elaborate

With a mouth full of food, Hasil's only response was "Umm hmm"

"We have enough for our own place now." Sally Ann continued "If we move in today, we can get a discount off the rent" seeing the question in his eyes, she elaborated "he would charge us less - $550 instead of $600."

Hasil nodded "You think we ought to?"

"Well it's a good deal for the money, but…..ummm" Sally Ann hesitated, not sure how to phrase it

"What?" Hasil asked

"It's just…..rent is gonna be due every month" She said " So money would need to come in regularly. Maybe we should wait till I get a job"

Hasil understood why she was worried, so he tried not to show he was hurt by it. "We'll have it" he said sincerely, reaching across the table for her hand "I give you my promise. Alright?"

Sally Ann held his gaze, and read in it another plea to trust him. She let her heart speak before her head got in the way "Alright. I'll call him back after we finish eating."

Hasil gave her hand a squeeze before letting go and turning his attention back to eating. He knew she'd noticed his eye and it was only a matter of time before she asked about it. He would at least try to hold her off until they got into the apartment. He had a feeling the fighting wasn't gonna go over too good.

"We gonna have enough money left for them basics you wrote down?" He asked

Sally Ann nodded "Yeah, last night really helped. We should have a little over $800 left to get what we need to get by. I can make my first doctors appointment now."

"If you want, I can go with you to the doctor" Hasil offered "I wanna make sure you're okay and learn as much as I can."

Sally Ann was touched. "I'd really like that. To be honest, I'm kinda nervous – I don't really know what to expect either. I checked out a couple books when we went to the library, we'll learn together"

After they cleared the table, Sally Ann pulled her phone out of her pocket and looked at Hasil. "Okay, I'll call and tell him we'll take the apartment."

Hasil nodded and smiled "Alright"

Sally Ann couldn't understand why she couldn't stop smiling "We're really doing this?"

"We're doing it!" Hasil said, still smiling "Make the call Woman!"

Each was grinning and unable to look away from the others eyes as Sally Ann made the call.

"Hello Mr. Jeffers" she said into the phone "Its Sally Ann Lewis. I talked to my boyfriend and we're gonna take the place. Yes sir, today. We just have to arrange a ride and I'll text you with a time. Okay, Thank you, Bye!"

Sally Ann ended the call and took a deep breath, eyes still locked with Hasil's she said "We did it!"

Still smiling, Hasil nodded and said "You called me your boyfriend"

Sally Ann threw her head back and laughed before bringing her eyes back to Hasil's "Yes I did"

Hasil moved closer, still smiling but with that look in his eyes that made her stomach do flips "That means you're my girlfriend"

Hasil's smiling face was inches from hers, taking a deep breath, Sally Ann replied quietly "Yes it does"

Hasil reached out and grabbed her around her waist, pulling her to him "C'mere"

* * *

Frieda walked into the kitchen to find Sally Ann and Hasil making out like teenagers. She cleared her throat to announce her presence "Getting kinda hot in this kitchen…"

Hasil and Sally Ann were startled. Sally Ann blushed turning her head away and giggling. Hasil was not embarrassed, he kissed her neck and said "We're celebrating, I got me a girlfriend and a new place to live"

"Congratulations! Anymore celebrating and we'll need to clean off some counter space." Frieda quipped, both Sally Ann and Hasil laughed.

"We're gonna move today" Sally Ann shared "Do you think we could get a ride over?"

"Of course" Frieda responded "But you know you don't have to go that fast. Don't you want to pick up some furniture and stuff first?"

"We get a discount on the deposit and rent if we move today." Sally Ann explained "Besides, its close to my friend Naomi's place and her Dad has a truck. I'm hoping I can get her to take us to Goodwill tomorrow to pick up a few things before her shift starts."

"Well at least take some Blankets and pillows to sleep tonight." Frieda said "I'll come by to pick them up once you get settled."

"We really appreciate y'all taking us in Miss Frieda" Hasil said sincerely "I wasn't real respectful on my last visit, I won't forget the kindness"

"Neither will I" Sally Ann said, stepping forward to offer Frieda a hug "Thank you, Hasil isn't the only one who has a new girlfriend!"

Frieda hugged her back "Y'all are welcome here anytime, I mean it. Now lets stop this before I start ugly crying. C'mon, lets go break the news to Butch – I'm sure he'll pretend to be heartbroken."

* * *

Frieda took them to buy a Money Order and then to meet Mr. Jeffers to sign the lease and pick up the keys. Sally Ann had talked to Naomi, she agreed to take them to Goodwill tomorrow. Tonight they would just order Pizza and enjoy each other's company.

"Call me tomorrow afternoon, I'll run y'all to the grocery store" Frieda said as she dropped them off at the apartment

"Thank you Frieda." Sally Ann said, leaning over to hug her "See you tomorrow"

Sally Ann got out and grabbed her purse and bag, then lowered the seat so Hasil could get out. They waived to Frieda as she drove off.

"Well, this is it. Welcome home." She said, gesturing toward the apartment.

Hasil stole a quick kiss and said "Its good to be home. C'mon, lets see it"

As they approached the door, Sally Ann smiled and said "Close your eyes. C'mon, close em!"


	7. Chapter 7

_**Happy March! This takes place after Sally Ann and Hasil confront Butch, but before he see's his cousins in town.**_

 _ **Season 2 / Episode 11**_

"Ma'am" Hasil said, tipping his hat to Frieda as he ushered Sally Ann out.

They walked in silence; Sally Ann could feel the anger rolling off of Hasil. She slipped her hand into his as they walked together toward the bus stop.

Hasil believed Sally Ann when she said something wasn't right, but he'd hoped it was just a misunderstanding. It had never crossed his mind that Butch would steal from him.

As they sat waiting at the bus stop, Hasil became restless and got up to pace around. Sally Ann watched him closely; she could tell he was tense. He leaned on the opposite wall inside the shelter and closed his eyes. Sally Ann wasn't surprised when Hasil suddenly raised his arm and threw his elbow into the shelter wall.

"Damn him!" He exclaimed, as he started to pace

'"You alright?" Sally Ann asked

Hasil took a deep breath and let it out slowly "Yeah, I'm just…..I really thought he was a friend"

"I'm sorry Babe" she replied

"You ain't got nothing to be sorry about, who knows how long it woulda gone on if you wasn't looking out for me." Hasil replied

"Of course I'm looking out for you" Sally Ann said "I love you"

Hearing those 3 words from Sally Ann was all he needed to lift his spirits. He smiled and held out his hand to help her up as the bus arrived. "I love you too." He replied, raised her hand to his lips. "C'mon, lets got get some food with Butch's money"

* * *

Hasil and Sally Ann sat at a quiet corner table in Casey's diner. Looking at her notebook, Sally Ann tried to determine when Butch started shorting Hasil and how much he was owed. She had been keeping track of his scores and his payouts.

"Looking at the numbers, I think he's shorted you the last 3 fights." Sally Ann said "It's hard to tell for sure cause I don't know what the bets brought in – but going with the average I would say he owes you about $930.00"

Hasil shook his head "Got damn peckerhead…"

Sally Ann smiled "I probably wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't gotten greedy on this last fight. I'll call Frieda and arrange to get the difference back to him – minus breakfast."

The waitress arrived and delivered breakfast. As they started to eat, Sally Ann commented "We need to find you another manager if you're gonna keep fighting"

"I thought you said you was gonna do it?" Hasil said

"Babe… I was just mad" Sally Ann explained "I don't know anything about fighting or managing anybody"

"I know about fighting and I don't trust nobody else with our paper" Hasil said "You did good last night getting him to pay them lookouts and not sell weed"

"Hasil, I don't think….." she started

"And all that stuff we talked about last night with Butch – them was your ideas" Hasil reminded her

* * *

On the way home after last nights fight, they stopped at Dairy Queen with Butch and Frieda.

"There were so many people there to see Hasil" Sally Ann said "is it always like that?"

"It gets bigger with every fight" Butch responded "I been there on nights Hasil ain't fighting and ain't half as many people there."

"Seems like just about everyday in town somebody is giving me the 3 finger sign" Hasil commented

"You're Zach's biggest draw for sure" Butch replied "They want to see a Farrell fight, Hasil always puts on a good show"

"Do all those people pay to get in?" Sally Ann asked

Butch nodded "Yep"

"So if Zach makes more money because Hasil is fighting, shouldn't Hasil make more money?" Sally Ann asked

The table was silent, everybody looking at Sally Ann. She continued nervously, "That's fair right? I mean he makes more money cause more people pay to get in when Hasil is fighting. They all buy beer and stuff – I bet he makes money off that too."

Frieda smiled and nodded "Damn straight he does, Zach would charge people to breathe the air in there if he could"

"So if Zach is guaranteed more money when Hasil is fighting, then Hasil should get guaranteed money for fighting." Sally Ann stated, bolder now – looking at Butch.

Butch turned to look as Hasil, and so did Sally Ann – realizing she shouldn't presume to speak for him. Hasil met her eyes and gave her a slight nod.

Sally Ann turned back to Butch "And he should get a bigger cut since his fights make more than the others."

"So you want me to ask Zach for a pre-fight guarantee and a bigger cut?" Butch asked, incredulous

"That's what managers do!" Frieda argued "Negotiate and renegotiate."

"AND as his manager, if Hasil makes more – you make more" Sally Ann reminded Butch.

Butch looked at Hasil and asked "Why did we invite the girls along?"

"We didn't" Hasil said "They just showed up. Good thing they did, cause I might've never found out my manager was falling down on the job!"

"What?!" Butch exclaimed "Look…."

"Sally Ann's right" Hasil said "You gotta talk to Zach before I fight again. I ain't doing this to make him more paper, I'm fighting to take care of my family – and he needs to pay me fair"

* * *

They returned home after breakfast and picking up few things for the apartment, the subject of Hasil's management still unsettled. He still thought she should take it on and she still thought she wasn't qualified. They debated as they put away their purchases.

"What's that mean? Qualified?" Hasil asked

"That I'm not able, I don't know how" Sally Ann explained

"That don't mean you can't learn!" Hasil said "I saw you last night; I know you can do it"

"I don't know Hasil, talking to Butch that way is different than talking to somebody who puts these fights together, an actual professional." She replied "Besides, other than you I don't know anybody in the fight business."

"Look, we'd be a team – I know about fighting and I know these people now, and you can handle the money and setting up the fight" he explained

"I just…..I'm scared I would let you down" Sally Ann said quietly

"C'mere" Hasil stopped what he was doing and grabbed her hand, leading her into the main room to sit together "I'm twenty two summers now – you know how old I was the first time somebody said "I love you" to me?" he asked

Sally Ann shook her head

"Twenty two" Hasil answered, taking her face in his hands "and it was last night and it was you. In the few months we've known each other you've given me more than anybody in my life. Ain't nothing you can do, ever, to let me down"

Sally Ann was stunned "Babe…" she leaned forward to kiss him "It's just…this is important….."

"I know it is, that's why I want you to do it" Hasil said quietly "We're in this together, and I don't trust nobody like I trust you. I'm gonna learn, but I need your help. You and me…..we can do this"

"How are you so sure I can do something like this?" Sally Ann asked

"Because being my manager means looking out for me" Hasil said "And since you love me, that makes you …what's that word you used…qualified? I saw you do it last night. You knew we had to watch all them doors to make sure I didn't get caught – and that selling pot brings the law - that's looking out for me. You figured out I was drawing more folks and making Zach more money – and you only been to one fight! You're quick and you're smarter than Butch"

"I do love you. But pushing Butch is one thing; I don't even know this Zach guy! How do you know he'll listen to me?" Sally Ann asked

"Nobody's gonna disrespect you when I'm around" Hasil said firmly "I ain't gonna leave you alone with him to make a deal, I'll be right there backing you up."

Sally Ann took a deep breath "You really think I can do this?"

"I know you can" Hasil replied, raising his hand to cup her face "This is it…"

"You and me…." She responded, nodding "Alright."

* * *

Hasil held open the door for Sally Ann as they walked out of Zach's place. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she could feel the blood flowing through veins.

As they walked down the street, she skipped ahead and did a twirl "We did it!" She said, laughing as she did a victory dance on the sidewalk

Hasil smiled, thrilled to see her so happy and proud "You did it!"

"Nope, we're a team…..we did it….kicking ass and making deals!" She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him

Her joy was contagious; Hasil picked her up and swung her around "Ole Zach didn't know what hit him…."

They started to walk home, hand in hand – both excited about what just happened. "That fake Farrell proves that he knows you're bringing in money" Sally Ann said "I don't think he planned on you reacting like that"

"I couldn't let that disrespect stand" Hasil explained "He looked like a damn fool playing at being a Farrell."

"I haven't seen a wig snatched like that since the Deacon's wife and girlfriend got into it at church!" Sally Ann said smiling "I thought Zach was gonna throw up"

"He's lucky I didn't beat his ass for setting up that side show" Hasil grumbled "But now he knows we mean to be treated fair"

"And I doubt fake Farrell will be making another appearance" she said with a grinned "You knocked him out with one punch….."

Hasil turned and walked backwards, facing Sally Ann and taking both her hands "You like that, huh?"

Sally Ann smiled and locked eyes with Hasil "Yes I did"

Hasil smiled "You know what I liked?" He asked, meeting her eyes

"What?" She asked

"Listening to you tell Zach about himself and what he wasn't fixin to do!" Hasil replied

Sally Ann threw her head back and laughed before returning her gaze to Hasil "Really?!"

He nodded and said intently "To be completely honest, it kinda turns me on."

She gave him a wide smile and moved closer to him "Really?"

"Really" Hasil replied softly, tugging on her hands and picking up the pace"Let's go home."

"I was hoping to stop by the Lib….."Sally Ann started

Hasil shook his head and interrupted, pulling her in for a deep kiss "Uh uh…..home…now"

* * *

Sally Ann woke up and could see it was still dark outside. Hasil was wrapped around her and she could make out the shadow of their clothes littering the living room. She eased out of bed and bent to pick up his shirt and slip it on. Grabbing her phone she headed to the kitchen for a drink. She poured a glass of orange juice and smiled as she leaned against the kitchen counter. She felt sore in all the right places. Checking her phone, she had a text from Frieda, it was one word "Hey"

It was 1230 in the morning, but Sally Ann knew she'd be up – so she replied "Hey"

Frieda's reply was instant "Can I call you?"

Looking over had Hasil who was sound asleep, Sally Ann walked into the bathroom and closed the door before replying "Sure"

She answered immediately when her phone rang "Hey Frieda"

Frieda sounded sad "Hey. Are y'all okay? I'm so sorry, I didn't know what Butch was doing I never would've…."

"I know Frieda, its okay. We're fine." Sally Ann interrupted "I don't blame you"

"Thank the Lord!" she replied "I don't have a lot of friends; I really don't want to lose you."

"What happened doesn't erase everything y'all did for us" Sally Ann said "I don't want to lose you either"

"I kicked Butch's ass" Frieda explained "I know you don't want to hear this, but he is sorry. He feels like shit, he wants to apologize"

"I know, I could see it in his face when Hasil was talking to him at the end" Sally Ann admitted "But he's pretty hurt right now, we need a little space….give us a couple days"

"Alright, I understand" Frieda agreed

"We owe Butch about $300 from the money I took…" Sally Ann started

"Nope! You keep that" Frieda said emphatically "It's an aggravation tax, his ass deserved to get jacked. If I wasn't so pissed and embarrassed it would've been funny. Plus I didn't appreciate him bringing me into his sorry story"

"Frieda, we can't….." Sally Ann started

"You sure can! I'm hanging up now; you get your little bun in the oven to bed." Frieda said "I'll wait for you to call me. G'nite girl"

Sally Ann smiled "G'nite Frieda, talk to you soon."

Quietly making her way back to bed, she climbed in next to Hasil. He stirred and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to him

"You okay?" He asked sleepily

Kissing his cheek, she replied "I'm okay babe, just got a drink and went to the bathroom"

Hasil ran his hands down her back and then underneath his shirt she'd put on. He pulled her in for a kiss, then whispered "Take this off….."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - Season 2 / Episode 4**

"You hungry?" Hasil asked, putting his arm around Sally Ann "Lets get you something to eat"

Sally Ann sniffled and laid her head on his shoulder. As they walked, she asked "Are you gonna get in trouble for me being here?"

"I'll go see the Bren'in after we eat" Hasil said "Nothing for you to worry about"

"What'd you say about Big Foster?" Sally Ann asked

"He'd gone missing after that trouble we had when you was last here, but he come back" Hasil explained "We thought he was dead, so his wife is Bren'in now."

Sally Ann recalled him referring to a woman as queen "The lady with the red hair?"

"Yeah, that's her. Foster is play acting at being a changed man, but no matter how much a snake sheds skin – it's still a snake" Hasil said, unable to keep the irritation out of his voice "He ain't to be trusted"

Sally Ann nodded, recalling how terrifying he was "Where are we going?" She asked

"My place" Hasil responded "That's it yonder"

She smiled "You have a tree house? That's just so…"

Hasil turn to look at her, happy to see her smile again "So what?"

"You….it just fits, that's all" Sally Ann replied

"Well I wasn't expecting company, so…."he started

Sally Ann interrupted "Don't worry about it, I'll just be happy to sit down and get something to eat"

They climbed the stairs together and Hasil led her in "This is it, built it myself when I was 17 summers"

" It's nice," she commented "I like the natural light…"

"We don't have electric up here, so we gotta make good use of the sunlight" Hasil explained, taking her purse and jacket – he sat them down on a crate. "Come on out back, I got some stew simmering and fresh water"

Out back there was a small deck and yard with a garden. There was a collection of cast iron pots on stands, one of which was hovering over a smoldering fire

"You have a garden?" Sally Ann asked

"Yeah, when the rabbits leave it be. I got carrots, potatoes, and onions. Krake and me trade, he's got corn, greens, and such." He explained "Sit here on the step and I'll get you a plate"

Hasil poured two cups of water, handing one to Sally Ann and setting the other down on the deck for himself. Then he worked on fixing two plates of turkey stew with corn bread.

"Thank you" Sally Ann said, taking the plate "It smells good. What's in it?"

"Nothing fancy – Wild Turkey, carrots, and potatoes." He answered, sitting down beside her "My Cousin Millie sent the cornbread over, she was close to my Ma and tries to make sure I don't starve."

Sally Ann was starving, she hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon. Taking a bite, she was pleasantly surprised "This is really good!" She exclaimed, quickly taking another bite.

Hasil watched her dig in with abandon. When she finished, he took her empty plate and placed his full plate in her hands. "When was the last time you ate?" He asked

Sally Ann stopped, a little embarrassed at how quickly she'd finished that plate "Yesterday afternoon. James was waiting for me when I got home last night, started yelling at me as soon as I stopped the car"

Hasil set down the empty plate and grabbed her cup to refill it, he was trying to keep his anger under control. "Why was he waiting on you?"

"He found the pregnancy test in the bathroom, he had it in his hand." She explained sadly "He was so mad, he starting yelling at me about seeing you, told me to get out of the car – then he tried to make me – he reached into the car and I bit him and drove off"

"Did he hurt you?" Hasil asked, with an new edge to his voice

"No, just scared me is all" Sally Ann replied, turning her attention back to the stew. She wasn't sure if she was ready to share what happened before and after the confrontation with James.

Sitting down with a new plate for himself, they ate in silence. Both trying not to think of James for different reasons.

Hasil finally broke the silence "So when did you figure out you was carrying?"

"I knew I was late, but I thought it might be the stress of coming down off the mountain." She replied "but then after a couple days I started noticing other symptoms and decided to take a pregnancy test"

"How's that work?" Hasil asked

"It's something you buy at the store, you pee on it and it looks for a hormone your body only makes if you're pregnant" Sally Ann explained "I was on my way home with the test when you stopped me to talk. I'm so sorry, for what I said – I was scared and I felt really alone…"

Hasil shook his head "You don't have to do that…..I know, and I'm sorry. I never shoulda brought you up here when I didn't know what was going on."

"It was my idea" she reminded him

"Yeah, but I knew Big was Bren'in and I knew he was looking for me." Hasil said "I didn't know all that would happen, but I knew things would different – in a bad way. He caught us all again. If the law hadn't shown up when they did…."

"I ran into them on the way down. They took me back to town" Sally Ann shared

"Yeah, when they was leaving – I circled around and asked that one whose nose I busted about you." He explained. "I was gonna go look for you. He said they found you, that you was scared, but alright"

"I'm still scared" She said, reaching for his hand "But not alone. Thank you"

"I'm just glad you was able to make it up here safe." He responded "You remembered the way up?"

"No, there was a girl" Sally Ann responded "She led me up."

"You met one of my kin in town?" He asked

Sally Ann sighed "No, not exactly. I kinda crashed the car in a ditch at the foot of the mountain and she just appeared. She led me right to you."

"Crashed the car?!" Hasil said "You sure you're alright? Maybe one of the healers should check on you. You tussled with your brother then crashed a car and walked up the mountain"

She shook her head "I'm okay, just really tired – I haven't slept in like… 30 hours"

Hasil stood and extended his hand "C'mon, you can rest while I got talk to the Bren'in"

Sally Ann took his hand and stood "Is there a bathroom I can use? And maybe clean up real quick?"

"We got a outhouse. I'll put some water on to warm, should do for washing up by the time we get back from the outhouse" Hasil said, leading her down the back steps.

"It's so quiet up here" Sally Ann commented as she watched him move the stew off the fire and put on a pot of water

"Everybody is getting ready for the hunt right now." He explained "There's a big shin dig tonight, then tomorrow we try to make sure we got enough meat in the smokehouse for the winter."

"Do you have to go?" She asked

"Lets see what the Bren'in has to say" Hasil replied, taking her hand and walking through the woods to the outhouse. "This is it…..should be some paper in there, sorry it ain't what you're used to….."

She shook her head and smiled "It's fine, I'll be right back"

Hasil moved a few feet away and sat down on a log to wait. He thought to himself, what are we gonna do? I'm pretty sure she don't want to live up here – and almost certain the Bren'in won't allow it. I don't want to live down the hill, I like to visit – but this is home. He closed his eyes and breathed in the mountain air. He turned as he heard the outhouse door open and stood to greet Sally Ann.

"Ready?" He asked

She nodded and accepted his hand.

"You sure you're okay?" Hasil asked

"Yeah" she replied "Just tired. I'll feel better after I clean up a little and get some rest"

Back at the cabin, Hasil gave Sally Ann a bar of soap and a towel. Then he started going through a box. "I got me a old robe in here somewheres. Cousin Millie give it to me when I stayed with her family. Said I needed to learn some modesty"

Sally Ann smiled, Hasil was definitely unashamed when it came to being naked.

"Here it is!" He exclaimed, lifting a worn yellow robe from the box "I can wash your clothes and you can sleep in this. Won't take long for em to dry in this heat."

He handed her the robe shyly, and said "I'll go get your water"

Sally Ann watched him as he headed out back, and quickly started to get undressed. She shook her head, and thought to herself "to late to be shy Sally Ann – you're already knocked up" Hasil walked in as she was slipping on the robe.

He sat the bowl down on one of the crates "Here ya go" he said, then turned – scooping up her clothes.

"Let me do that" She protested "You don't have to do my laundry!"

"You done mine" he responded with a smile as he walked out "besides, you ain't going out in the yard in nothin but a robe. I don't feel like fighting none of my cousins today."

Sally Ann smiled and shook her head. Picking up the soap, she started by washing her hands and was pleasantly surprised- the soap looked rough, but it felt really good and smelled great. She quickly cleaned the sweat and grime off and started to feel like herself again. She dried off and tied the robe, then picked up the water bowl and walked out on the porch.

"Just throw that over the side" Hasil said "I'll be done in just a couple minutes."

Sally Ann walked to the right side of the deck and threw out the water "What's that soap made of? It really smells good"

"I don't know everything in it, Cousin Millie makes it" he replied "She says it was my Ma's favorite –raw honey, marigold flowers, and milk is what makes it smell so good"

Taking the bowl back in, Sally Ann dried it and then took the towel outside and hung it over the railing.

Hasil gathered up her now clean clothes and joined her on the deck to hang them over the railing to dry.

"Should be dry in no time" he commented, leading her back into the cabin. "C'mon, lets get you settled"

Hasil helped Sally Ann into the Hammock, then covered her with a light blanket.

"Lay down with me?" She asked as he pulled up a chair next to her

He reached for her hand "I'll stay till you fall asleep, but I need to go see the Bren'in" he promised "Don't want to wake you up getting out of the hammock"

"This is gonna be hard, isn't it?" She asked

Hasil sighed and nodded. He leaned in and kissed her gently "Yeah, it is. But it'll get easier, I promise."

* * *

The first visit with G'win hadn't gone like he'd hoped. Sally Ann and Hasil spend a quiet night together in his cabin. In the morning, he decided to go see G'win a second time. Hasil was so torn. His family needed him, he didn't trust the Kinnah or Big Foster. With Asa gone, there wasn't much standing in the way of anybody who wanted to cause trouble. G'win reminded him again that his family was up here and still refused to allow Sally Ann to stay.

Looking up, he found himself in the spot he often went without thinking when he needed comfort. His parents graves, they were laid to rest side by side. He sat down and closed his eyes, trying to clear his mind.

"Hasil?" Krake said quietly

Hasil started "Dang it Krake! How's somebody so old that quiet and sneaky?"

Krake smiled "Lots of practice. Heard Miss Sally Ann showed up and then saw you looking down after you called on the Bren'in. Everything alright?"

"She's carrying Krake" he said quietly "and the Bren'in says she can't stay. I don't know what to do."

"You sure it's your child?" Krake asked, he quickly threw up his hands as Hasil stared daggers at him "Just asking Cousin…"

"Yeah, I'm sure" Hasil said in a tone that closed the discussion.

"Well you been wildcat'n around for a few years now, you'd think you'd know how to keep this kind of thing from happening" Krake admonished

"I ain't been thinking much when it comes to Sally Ann – just feeling." He admitted "Me and her together don't make a lot of sense, but I ain't never wanted anything this much"

"You love her?" Krake asked

"I do, but I ain't sure she feels the same." Hasil replied "I mean, I know she cares for me but…..she needs time, she's careful and thoughtful"

"So nothin like you then?" Krake remarked

Hasil cracked a smile "Guess not. But we do got something in common – we both grew up without our folks. She never met her Fa and her Ma run off … left her with her jackass of a brother."

"I s'pose its real important to both of you to make sure this child don't suffer the same." Krake said

"We ain't talked about it, but I know that's how I feel" Hasil replied "I finally feel like I got a purpose here – like I'm needed." He responded "I don't feel right walking away with Big and the Kinnah here. But she needs me, and that child needs me too. Why do I gotta turn my back on one family for another? Why can't I have both?"

"It's a tough call Cousin" Krake said sympathetically "That's the way it's been since we came to this mountain…."

"It ain't right!" Hasil interrupted

"BUT every generation has brought some change to this mountain" Krake continued "what has always been don't always have to be."

They sat quietly for a few moments, and Hasil asked "What would they do?"

"Your folks?" Krake asked, with a smile. "Well Siobhan would do whatever she damn well pleased and dare anybody to try and stop her. Declan never did nothing he wasn't supposed to do – unless it was for her, for love. He wouldn't let anything keep him from her"

Hasil felt his throat tighten and his eyes start to sting "I don't know if I'm as strong as them Krake. How can I provide for a family down there? I can't hardly go a day down there without trouble coming to me"

Krake reached out and patted Hasil on the shoulder "When the time comes, you'll know what to do. Won't make it any easier, but you'll know"

Hasil wiped his eyes and stood up "I better get back, I don't want her to wake up by herself." He extended his hand and helped Krake up – then held on to his hand. "If I don't see you again Cousin…..thank you for all you done for me…..taught me…"

"None of that boy, where there's a will – there's a way. And I never met another body with a stronger will than you. No matter how it plays out – you ain't seen the last of me." Krake admonished "Go on now and take care of that young lady"

* * *

It was a long walk back to the cabin for Hasil. Memories were all around him, how could he walk away from his home? He returned to the cabin to find Sally Ann still asleep. He quietly packed a change of clothes and some bread, then woke Sally Ann to get started on the journey.

"Hey….Sally Ann…..C'mon, we gotta get started down the hill" He said, shaking her gently

Sally Ann opened her eyes and looked up at him with a smile "Good morning"

Hasil smiled back "Morning". Then he was suddenly nervous, just hearing her say good morning made the sun shine brighter – how was he supposed to walk away from her?

Sally Ann sensed the quick change in his mood as he helped her stand. He seemed sad about missing the hunt when they talked last night…maybe he wanted to stay for that…..

"You sure you want to leave now?" She asked "You can go join the hunt. We got our whole lives ahead of us, so another day won't hurt."

"Best we leave now" Hasil said, putting on his belt and retrieving his Fa's knife "Ain't no need for a bunch of long goodbyes"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"This reading thing ain't gonna be so hard" Hasil commented with a smile

"Maybe not….." Sally Ann replied and they shared a laugh as the tension faded

Sally Ann finished reading the book to the baby, relieved to have Hasil home.

"I'm sorry about your birthday" Hasil said, as Sally Ann closed the book "I was really wanting it to be special."

"Well, I sure won't forget it!" she replied, with a wry grin "You eat anything?"

"Not since lunch" Hasil responded

"Let me warm something up" Sally Ann responded, starting to stand

Hasil grabbed her hand "I'm good, lets finish our talk. You got a right to know what happened"

Sally Ann sighed and looked at Hasil. "I haven't eaten either, my stomachs been in knots. Let's just fix something to eat and sit down together, okay?"

"Alright" Hasil agreed "Turkey stew?"

Sally Ann nodded, and they headed to the kitchen together. They worked together easily in a rhythm they'd learned in the last few weeks living together. Hasil set the table and made drinks while Sally Ann warmed up the turkey stew.

As they sat down at the table, Sally Ann asked "So did everything, go….I mean….is…" She stopped, frustrated, thinking – am I really trying to find out if the kidnapping went okay?

"It's done, nobody was hurt and they'll bring her back down day after tomorrow" Hasil responded

Sally Ann nodded, she had a million other questions – but that was enough for now. They ate in silence for a few minutes and finally Hasil commented "So you asked about the prison break…"

Sighing, Sally Ann said "Yeah. I mean it's pretty clear the disguise isn't for fight club. What really happened? Is any of what you told me true?"

"Most of its true" Hasil said "And I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have lied to you – but I didn't want you to worry and be accountable for anything I done."

"You don't get to make those decisions on your own" Sally Ann snapped "If we can't be honest with each other, then at some point you're protecting the lie over the relationship. I can't choose with honest eyes if you're hiding things from me"

"I know, you're right." Hasil said, letting out a breath. "The sheriff did show up at fight club, and I did take off running. But he stopped me by hollering out my cousin's name, the one they had in prison. He wanted me to take him up the mountain to see my family"

"Wait, what?" Sally Ann said

Hasil nodded "He told me that he knew Lil Foster was innocent, but that they was gonna make it out that he was guilty. He said we had to steal him away or he'd be lost to us forever"

"The Sheriff….THE Sheriff…..told your family to break your cousin out of prison?!" Sally Ann asked, shocked

"Yeah, he said he couldn't make it up without me so I took him up" he explained "He gave us a map and told us where to catch the bus. I brought him partly back down and asked him to get word to you, but I couldn't tell him where we lived ….."

Sally Ann closed her eyes, her head was spinning. Fight clubs and prison breaks and people getting shot and kidnapping. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes to find Hasil staring at her – his eyes had a way of projecting his feelings with gripping sincerity. Her breath caught in her throat, she was certain she could see into his soul at that moment – and she saw warmth and light. Fight club to support her and his unborn child, prison break to save an innocent man, heartbreak over his cousins shooting, kidnapping to save his family. It was all still crazy – but she realized they were calculated decisions and he was doing what he felt was right. She nodded, encouraging him to go on…acknowledging to herself that she saw the deeper meaning to the things he'd done.

"The part about Enoch" Hasil continued quietly "that part was all true. Anyway….so the sheriff came by here while you was gone that night, told me to leave town – said he couldn't protect me."

Sally Ann was instantly angry "You're the only one in town that can connect him with that prison break,of course he wants you gone! Did he threaten you?"

Hasil shook his head "Naw, just said I was pretty identifiable and I should leave. So I figured I'll just be less identifiable. He don't want nothing tying him to me or my family, he ain't coming for me."

"How can you be sure?" she asked, shaking her head. "What he did could cost him everything"

"That's exactly why he ain't coming for me" he assured her "he needs to keep his distance so he can't be tied to me or my kin."

Sally Ann nodded and asked "That's everything?"

Hasil nodded "That's everything"

"This is just…..a lot, you know…..to deal with." Sally Ann said, exhaling

Hasil reached out and took her hand "I know, and I'm sorry. I'll do better about not keeping things from you, but I can't turn my back on my kin. I'll say this again, and I'll say it as many times as you need to hear it - I will always come back to you. Always. I chose to leave and make a life down here with you. But you gotta understand I got ties and family up there still, and they gotta understand I got ties and family down here now. I'll do my best to honor both, but I need your help"

Sally Ann looked down and took a moment to compose her thoughts. "I'm sorry, it isn't right for me to expect you to choose. I think I let my fears and worries get the best of me..…my judgment gets clouded." Looking up, she met his eyes and continued "I choose you, I want to be with you and I want us to be a family. But if I don't know what's going on, my imagination kinda runs wild and its always more dramatic than it needs to be…..just don't hide things from me and we can work through anything. Okay?"

"Alright" Hasil agreed

"Alright" Sally Ann said, smiling and picking up her spoon to continue her meal

Hasil picked up some bread to butter and asked "When can you start back to school?"

"Couple months, that should give us time to save a little more money" Sally Ann responded

"What was you studying before?" Hasil asked

"I was leaning toward being a teacher, but I don't know if I really have my heart set on anything specific just yet" She replied

"You'd be a good teacher!" Hasil said "You got the patience for it, you been real good at helping me learn things down here."

"You're smart, so it's easy" Sally Ann Responded "We should start working on reading together. Start by learning letters and sounds – I bet I can get some books from the library to help"

"I'd like that." Hasil replied, standing to clear the table "I asked the Sheriff to stop by our place and tell you I'd be home…..he asked for our address…I didn't even know what that was."

"Oh…..I'm sorry Babe…" Sally Ann started "I didn't even think….

"You're smart, but you can't think of everything I don't know" Hasil said

"An Address is your house number and street name" she said "Ours is 5202 Lincoln Place"

Hasil repeated it to himself a couple times. "Got it, I'll remember."

They teamed up to quickly put the food away and clean the dishes.

Hasil hung up the towel as Sally Ann put away the last dish he dried. He reached for her hand and pulled her close. She laid her head on his shoulder and they stood for a moment, enjoying the closeness.

"Happy Birthday" Hasil said quietly

Sally Ann smiled "Thank you"

"I know you said no cake and not to make a fuss, but I got something for you" he said

"Hasil….." She responded, exasperated

He kissed her forehead "Now don't be like that, I wanted it to be special. Miss Frieda helped. C'mon and sit down"

Hasil led Sally Ann to the couch to sit down. "Close your eyes now….go on, close em" he instructed.

Then he returned to the kitchen and kneeled to pull something out of the cabinet. "Still got your eyes closed?" he asked

"Yes! You weren't supposed to do this, we were just going out for a nice lunch." She reminded him

"Lunch didn't turn out so nice, so it's a good thing I did – I get a second chance to try to make your birthday special." Hasil responded. Returning to the living room, he placed birthday cookie decorated with Red Balloons and Happy Birthday Sally Ann on the coffee table. He set a small gift bag by the cookie and sat down with next to Sally Ann "Okay, you can open em now"

Sally Ann opened her eyes, saw the cookie and gift and her hand flew to her heart. "Hasil….this is so sweet, you really didn't have to…"

"I know, but I wanted to" he interrupted, leaning forward to kiss her "Happy Birthday Darlin."

"Thank you Babe" she replied, leaning in to hug him. "I can't believe you were able to keep this a surprise."

"Like I said, Miss Frieda helped." Hasil explained, handing her the gift bag "She helped me get everything right, then she came over while we was a lunch and dropped all this off. Go on, open your present"

Sally Ann took out the tissue paper and saw a book and a slim rectangular box. Pulling out the book, she smiled excited to see it was a pregnancy journal "Expecting You" she read aloud, running her hand over the cover. Hasil must have picked up on her writing things down in a notebook she wanted to remember and share with their child someday. Flipping through the pages, her eyes started to well up with tears….."It's perfect" she said, hugging the book to her chest and smiling. "Thank you! I'm gonna copy everything into this – I can't wait to start using it!."

"I could tell it was important to you, so I thought it might be nice have something you could save for him" Hasil explained

"You seem real sure it's a him" Sally Ann commented "Maybe it's a her."

"Either way, it's ours and I already love it" Hasil said, leaning forward to steal a kiss "but it's a boy"

Sally Ann laughed and shook her head, then reached for the box left inside the bag. The long rectangular box looked like a jewelry box. "Hasil, what is this? We can't afford…" she started

"It didn't cost much more than going out to lunch" he assured her " now stop fussing at me and open it."

Sally Ann rolled her eyes and opened the box to find a delicate silver chain with a small plate. "An ankle bracelet…..I love it!"

"I knew you admired Miss Frieda's. Read the words there on it" Hasil said

Sally Ann noticed the delicate engraving and raised it to read the words - **You and Me -** engraved on the plate. At a loss for words, she stared at the bracelet.

"You like it?" Hasil asked nervously

She looked at him and nodded "I love it, it's so beautiful and thoughtful. Thank you Hasil Farrell."

Hasil smiled and asked "You want me to help you get put it on?"

Sally Ann didn't answer, she sat the box down on the table and climbed into his lap. Straddling him she kissed him deeply and urgently. There was something she needed to tell him, but she wasn't quite ready yet – so she would show him.

"Just take your shirt off" she begged breathlessly


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"It's alright" Hasil assured "I'll get us some more money. Don't worry."

Sally Ann sighed in frustration "But how….."

Hasil interrupted "I'll take care of it in the morning. C'mon now, we're still gonna have a good night. Hot water still work without the electric?" He asked

Sally Ann turned and looked at him curiously "Yeah, I think its gas. Either way, there should be hot water in the tank. Why?"

"You been saying I should soak in that big ole tub upstairs" Hasil reminded, snaking his arm around her waist "There's plenty of room for two…"

"You want to take a bath in the dark?" Sally Ann asked

"That ain't what I want to do in the dark" Hasil teased, kissing her neck repeatedly. "We got plenty of candles, it'll be nice…..C'mon…."

Sally Ann relaxed and laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck, Hasil was good at reminding her to give herself permission to enjoy life and live in the moment. "You know what, that does sound nice" She said with a smile "Let's round up some candles"

Using Sally Ann's phone for a flashlight, they gathered up candles and headed upstairs. They walked into the bathroom where the large claw foot tub sat near the back wall. There was a small shelf on the wall at the foot of the tub and a wooden bath caddy across the tub. Sally Ann started the water while Hasil lit the candles.

"Looks like we even have bubble bath" Sally Ann commented

"What's that?" Hasil asked

"It's just nice smelling soap you add to the bath water." She responded. Looking at the bottles on the shelf, Sally Ann smiled at the collection of Calgon Bubble Bath. Lavender Vanilla, Hawaiian Ginger, Ocean Breeze all sounded appealing…but the last bottle made her laugh out loud. "I think I found the perfect bubble bath for you! This one is called Morning Glory….."

Hasil smiled "Well ain't that fine! What's it smell like?"

Sally Ann opened the lid and held it out for Hasil to smell. "Like flowers in a bottle…" he commented

"Should I put some in?" She asked, sniffing "It smells kinda girly…."

"Yeah! It ain't often I get a hot bath, might as well make it as fancy as we can" Hasil replied "Unless you want to try one of the other ones."

"Nope, I really like Morning Glory." Sally Ann giggled and leaned in for a kiss as she added the bubble bath "I'm gonna grab some towels and something to tie my hair up, be right back. Keep an eye on the water "

Sally Ann hurried downstairs to the other bathroom to grab what she needed. She stopped on the way back up to grab the marshmallows. She returned to find Hasil lowering himself into the bathtub

"Ahhh…..this is nice" Hasil said, leaning back and breathing in the steam. "Get on in here….."

Sally Ann laid the towels on the sink then turned and placed the marshmallows on the bath caddy in front of Hasil. Picking up one of the soft treats, she ate half and fed the other half of it to Hasil before replying "Two minutes for hair and then I'm all yours"

Sally Ann pulled her hair into two small buns, one on each side. As she started to undress, she caught Hasil looking at her in the mirror. "What?" She asked

Hasil seemed a little embarrassed to be caught staring "Nothing….just, sometimes I look at you and can't find strong enough words to say what I'm feeling" he extended his hand "C'mere"

Sally Ann finished undressing and took Hasil's hand, joining him in the tub. She sat between his legs and leaned back against his chest.

"Mmmmm…this is nice….." She agreed, as he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her neck.

They sat quietly for a few moments, and Sally Ann decided to pick up where the conversation left off before the lights went off "What did you mean by you miss everybody and nobody?" She asked

"Well, folks always had to make room for me – somebody needs to take Hasil or don't forget Hasil – it was hard to feel like I belonged" he explained

Sally Ann nodded, she knew that feeling "Do you think anybody misses you?"

Hasil thought for a moment "I don't know…..they might wonder where I'm at, but that ain't the same as missing me. What about you? You miss your family when you're here with me?"

"It really is just James and me. I don't know who my Daddy is and Mama ran off as soon as James finished school." She replied "Folks at church helped and we did okay until the jobs started getting scarce. He was a good brother and he tried hard, but when he couldn't get work he started drinking and became a different person. The brother I miss has been gone for years….."

"He for sure ain't gonna lay a hand on you again" Hasil said quietly

"I still can't believe you came in after me" Sally Ann said "AND knocked him out. Most people are scared of him, that's why I've never really had a boyfriend"

"The first time we was together…was that your first time?" Hasil asked

"No, there was a boy in high school, my senior year" she replied "I thought he liked me, but he just wanted help passing calculus. I stopped seeing him when I found out he had a girlfriend"

"I can beat his ass too if you want." Hasil offered "just tell me where to find him.….."

Sally Ann smiled "That's sweet, but no. I don't want you to get arrested again."

"How'd you know I got arrested?" Hasil asked

"I saw it!" Sally Ann exclaimed "I came around from the side of the restaurant and you were walking away from a cop and he tased you. Then two more cars came flying up and they all jumped out and ran over to you."

"You was there?" Hasil replied "I thought you didn't show up…"

"I showed up, and I asked if you were okay when they were dragging you to the car " Sally Ann replied "They said you'd be fine in a few minutes, but you were going to jail for disorderly conduct."

"You showed up….." Hasil repeated, pulling her closer and kissing her cheek

Sally Ann laughed "That's not more important than you getting arrested!"

"To me it is" Hasil said "knowing you showed up means I didn't get arrested for nothing."

"You've been showing up for me since the day we met" Sally Ann said "It's a nice feeling."

"I told you, you're important to me. I really mean to do right by you." Hasil promised "You gave up a lot to be with me…"

"Not as much as you have" Sally Ann said, placing her hand over his gloved left hand "What really happened to your hand?"

"Just…..an accident….." Hasil started

"That's not what Asa said" Sally Ann interrupted

Hasil sighed, irritated at his cousins big mouth "What did Asa say?"

"That you didn't have good luck with money and y'all had harsh rules up there". She replied quietly "Did whoever robbed you do this to you too?"

"It's ain't that simple Sally Ann" Hasil explained "I just can't…..talk about some things."

They sat quietly, neither sure what to say. Sally Ann broke the silence

"Can I tell you one of my favorite parts about being with you?" She asked

"What's that?" He asked

"I finally have someone in my life I don't have to hide anything for or from." Sally Ann explained "Seems like I been doing that all my life. Hid things for my for my mama, for and from my brother…..and from everyone I knew who wondered what was wrong, why I was so quiet, why I kept to myself. I don't feel like I have to do that with you and even though it's hard it feels good. I'm so use to hiding in plain sight, but you see me – and you don't accept that I'm not worthy of happiness or that my feelings are unimportant. And you don't let me accept that either. That doesn't mean it'll be easy for me to share, but I know I can…..I know I don't have to hide things from you."

Hasil didn't know what to say, he was torn between what he'd been taught was right and what his heart was telling him was right. He knew he loved this girl and it scared him to death. He couldn't tell her yet, cause it would scare her to death…..but he could try to show her any chance he got.

Hasil raised his right hand and slowly removed the glove covering his left hand. He raised it to show her his two missing fingers.

"I took a couple jugs of Farrell Wine to sell in town." He confessed quietly" Figured if I got caught, they'd call the elders and I'd spend some time in the box - but it'd be worth it. Well, I got caught..…..and they didn't call the elders….."

Sally Ann knew the only reason he would need money was to take her out. She pulled his hand to her lips and kissed the end of each missing finger. "I'm so sorry." She said sincerely

"This ain't your fault" Hasil replied fiercely "one of my cousins went crazy, he was grieving - but that don't make this right. Me and him is even now and that's done. No amount of fretting is gonna bring my fingers back, so I ain't worried about it no more. You don't worry neither, alright?

Sally Ann nodded "Alright. Thank you. For sharing…..for seeing me"

"I do see you" Hasil continued "All I see is you and I don't want to see you hurt or upset. It's gonna be real hard for me, specially when something is about my family, but I'll try not to hide things. We'll keep each other honest."

Sally Ann tilted her head back and turned - they shared a kiss that started slow but quickly deepened into raw passion. When they finally came up for air, Sally Ann leaned back against Hasil. He held her close and their heavy breathing filled the air.

Taking his hand, Sally Ann again kissed the end of each missing finger before guiding his hand into the water and between her legs – saying breathlessly "I'm ready for new wonders….."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Season 2 / Episode 10**_

 _ **In the season 2 DVD Deleted Scenes, Sally Ann has a scare and has to go to the doctor. They talk afterwards outside the doctor's office, and Sally Ann asks Hasil if he would have gone back up the mountain if something happened to the baby. He reminds her he came back for her before he knew about the baby. He asks her the same and she says it doesn't matter, she is glad the baby brought them together. Frustrated, Hasil called her on not answering his question… queue the awkward silence, and Frieda pulls up with the car. The "I Love You" fight is later that evening. I noted that Sally Ann and Hasil stopped at DQ with Butch and Frieda after the fight in chapter 7 of this story. This is what happened when they got home later that night.**_

It was only a 15 minute drive from DQ to their apartment, but Hasil was sound asleep. The adrenaline from the fight had worn off and exhaustion set in quickly.

"Babe" Sally Ann said, shaking him gently "Hey, we're home…Hasil….."

Hasil woke with a start, looking around "What?!"

"We're home Baby….."she said reassuringly "C'mon"

Sally Ann said goodbye to Butch and Frieda as Hasil staggered towards the stairs.

"See y'all tomorrow" she said, waiving as she hurried to catch up with him. When she caught up to him, he swayed as he started make his way up. "Whoa!" she exclaimed, putting her arm around his waist. "You okay?"

Hasil grimaced and nodded, her hand had landed on a sore spot. It wasn't her fault, his whole body was a sore spot

They slowly walked up the stairs, Hasil leaning on Sally Ann a little more than he would have liked but still grateful to have her support. When they reached the landing, he leaned on the wall while Sally Ann found her keys and unlocked the door. Sally Ann opened the door and extended her hand to a shaky Hasil as he pushed off the wall to stand. She watched him closely as he walked inside, noting the bruises forming on his shoulder.

He gingerly sat down on futon, slumping down and leaning his head back. Sally Ann locked the door and grabbed the fan off the kitchen counter. She plugged in the fan and turned the air onto Hasil. Sitting across from him on the coffee table, she started to unlace his boots and remove them.

"Lets get you in the shower so you can get some sleep" she said, removing his boots

"I just wanna go to bed….." he replied quietly

"I know Babe" she replied, taking off his socks "but if you don't take a shower and let me put something on those bruises you'll just be restless and in pain. You won't get any real rest"

Hasil looked at her, his eyes conveying that he really didn't think he could move.

Leaning forward, she rested her arms on his legs and brought her face close to his. "Please….for me? I won't sleep well either if you're restless."

Hasil sighed and nodded "I ain't sure I can raise my arms to get my shirt off…"

Sally Ann smiled "Let me help." She carefully lifted his tank top until it was under his arms. "Lean forward a little" she asked.

Hasil leaned forward, grunting in pain. Reaching behind him, Sally Ann gently pulled the tank top over his head and off for him. Hasil leaned back again as she started to unfasten his kilt.

Closing his eyes, Hasil commented with a wry smile "you taking my clothes off generally gets me more stirred up..."

Sally Ann smiled "It's okay, you can make it up to me when you're feeling better" leaning forward, she stole a quick kiss. "I'll go start the shower."

Sally Ann stepped into their small bathroom and turned on the hot water, knowing it would take a few minutes to warm up. She opened the small closet behind the door to grab a towel and the small first aid kit she used for him after his fights.

She'd seen him fight a few times before, to protect her, but tonight was the first fight club match she'd seen. She didn't know it was possible to be terrified and proud at the same time. Watching Hasil, and seeing firsthand the courage it took to step onto that mat and fight, gave her the courage to tell him how she really felt about him. She made herself a promise that she would be there for all his fights from now on. It was the least she could do, he deserved to have someone who loved him there rooting for him.

She checked the water, and found it to be just right. Heading back out into the living room, she found Hasil dosing on the couch. "Babe….." She said, shaking him gently "Water's ready."

Hasil opened his eyes and nodded, Sally Ann offered a hand to steady him as he rose. Holding onto her hand he asked "You comin?"

"Yeah, I'll be in." She replied "Just let me get the bed set up first."

"Alright" Hasil said, walking slowly toward the bathroom "but you're gonna miss getting to take my long johns off….."

Sally Ann laughed "I'll make that up to you when you're feeling better"

She moved the coffee table and unfolded the futon, to set up the bed. Moving to the closet, she grabbed them each something to sleep in before heading to the bathroom.

Hasil was already in the shower, standing under the water trying to reach his back. She quickly undressed and stepped in behind him.

"Hey" she greeted "how you holding up?"

"This feels good" he responded "I'm glad you made me do it"

"Let me help" Sally Ann replied, taking the wash cloth from him, careful to be gentle on his bruises. Next she grabbed the shampoo and lathered up his hair, asking "How'd you learn to fight like that?"

Hasil shrugged "I had to"

"But why?" She responded. "You grew up surrounded by family, who were you fighting?"

"Mostly cousins – other boys my age, sometimes older" Hasil said "Things are different up there, even as kids we learned to settle things ourselves. I'm small and I stood out cause my folks had passed on. Some would try to pick on me."

"That's awful" Sally Ann replied

"Its just the way things was" he casually remarked. "It's better I learned to fend for myself. After while nobody messed with me, even the bigger ones."

"Didn't you have anybody close to you" she asked "anybody who had your back?"

Hasil nodded "A few of us stuck together pretty close, other kids like me who were different in some kinda way. Enoch lost both is folks in a fire. Barnabis, his Fa was from down here, and couple more we ran with…...all of us misfits"

Hasil turned and rinsed the shampoo from his hair, opening his eyes he met Sally Ann's and was surprised to see sadness.

"Hey" He said quietly "Don't be sad, if it wasn't like that – I probably woulda never come down here and I wouldn't be able provide for my family. Everything's just like it oughta be."

Leaning forward, Sally Ann rested her forehead on his "It is…." She stopped and took a deep breath "It's just hard to believe sometimes " She laid her head on Hasil's shoulder and they stood for a moment leaning on each other and the enjoying warm water.

Hasil broke the silence "Why's it so hard?"

Sighing softly, Sally Ann answered "I'm not really sure I even know why…life I guess." Picking her head up, she looked at him and quickly changing the subject "C'mon, we need to get you taken care of, you're already starting to bruise. I'll dry off and get dressed while you condition your hair" Turning quickly, she stepped out of the shower

Standing on the rug drying off, Sally Ann marveled at how quickly her new found courage failed her. Sighing, she said to herself "get it together Sally Ann, this man is literally bleeding for you! He deserves to know…."

As she finished dressing, the water stopped and shortly after Hasil threw back the shower curtain. Sally Ann found herself ogling him a little…ogling him a lot….

Hasil smiled "I ain't got enough strength for that look you're giving me, you gonna have to give me a day or so….."

Sally Ann smiled back "Or so sounds good. I got your clothes and a towel here, you need help?"

"Nah, you dressing me ain't near as fun as having you undress me. What's that you like to say…not a good look?! "Hasil replied, grinning

Sally Ann laughed with him "Alright then, I'll go make your tea and get my little nurses station set up while you get dressed." She backed out the bathroom, having a hard time taking her eyes off him.

When Hasil came out of the bathroom, Sally Ann was at the table waiting "Step into my office" she greeted with a smile.

Hasil sat down and Sally Ann handed him some Chamomile Ice Tea and Aleve for inflammation, then went to work applying ointment on the bruises. They'd developed a nice routine, and she was done with his back and chest by the time he finished his tea. Pulling her chair around, she sat down in front of him to start working on the cuts on his face.

Sally Ann studied his face as she worked. Handsome, but so much more – his face was love, joy, safety, solace, hope…..

In the peace and safety of their home, she found the urge to tell him how she felt just as strongly as she did in the noise and chaos of the fight club. She laid her hand on his chest to let him know she was finished, meeting his eyes as he opened them "I love you Hasil Farrell. Thank you for taking care of me"

"I love you Sally Ann Lewis" Hasil replied, leaning forward to kiss her "Thank you for taking care of me. C'mon, let's go to bed" Hasil said, standing, and because he knew Sally Ann added "we can clean up in the morning."

She hated clutter and mess, so reassured him "It'll only take a couple minutes…"

He interrupted, touching her face "I won't sleep if you ain't next to me….."

Sally Ann nodded, standing up she moved to turn off the kitchen light and then the lamp. Hasil was settled in bed when she slid in next to him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to spoon with him.

"Careful!" She warned "I don't want to hurt you."

"You ain't hurting me! This here is the best medicine " Hasil said, kissing her hair and sighing "This is why I fight…"

"I'd like to be there from now on" Sally Ann said "at your fights…."

"I know the fightin is hard to watch, you ain't gotta…" he started

She interrupted "I know, but I want to be there for you. We're in this together, and…..you've been so brave…..leaving your life on the mountain, finding a way to support us. You inspire me to be brave, to find the courage to face things I didn't even know I was afraid of…..

"Like love?" Hasil asked

Surprised at his response, Sally Ann turned to face him "How'd you know?"

"We both had it tough as kids" he replied "love means something different to us than it does most"

"Everybody that's supposed to love me left, or made me want to leave…" she said quietly

"That ain't on you. For a long time I felt like it was my fault my folks was gone, and it ate me up. But that ain't true, it's just life, and I couldn't change it no matter how much I wanted to. Then one day I just knew I could let it still me or spur me, but I needed to choose how I was gonna live. That was the day I met you. We was half way up the mountain when I decided – I turned around and waited for you to get done with work"

"I envy that about you, I over think everything." Sally Ann replied "But you're right, we can't change those things about our past. We just have to make our life about our choices, I think that's a better way to live. I'm glad you chose me. And I choose you, even though it took me longer to let myself want you, I choose you."

Hasil kissed her forehead and smiled "I once told my Cousin Krake you was thoughtful and careful and he laughed and said that meant you was nothin like me. But that's a good thing, we temper each other. We started cause I was eager and reckless that night – but we made it this far cause you're deliberate and heedful."

"Its a good thing when we have to make decisions together, but not when it comes to sharing our feelings. Remember earlier today outside the Doctors office? You asked if we'd be together if it wasn't for the baby?" She asked

"Yeah, I'm sorry I got…." Hasil started

"No, you had every right to be frustrated. I was holding back. The part I left out was that I'm glad the baby brought us back together because I love you and I'm grateful we have a 2nd chance. I knew I was in love with you, but I was fearful that if I named it, I'd lose it…..lose you" Sally Ann explained "and fear isn't love….love is everything from you walking down the mountain to see me to you on the mat at fight club and everything in between. I know I don't have to be afraid anymore, I really feel that. But its taking some time for me to get used to it….."

Hasil pulled her close and rested his cheek on her hair "I think we both done a lot of growing up in just a little bit of time and I know I'm a better man cause of you. You got all the time in the world, I'm here for good, alright?"

Sally Ann nodded, unable to reply as she struggled to control her emotions. As they lay wrapped in each other's arms, Hasil's breathing deepened and she felt the weight of his body as he drifted off to sleep.

Hasil is right, she thought to herself, all of this forced both of us to grow up fast – but I've found strength I didn't know I had and the kind of love I didn't know existed. It's been far from perfect, but I wouldn't change a thing.

"G'nite Babe" she whispered softly.

Hasil stirred and tightened his hold on her, "Love you Darlin" he said, barely awake "we're gonna be alright"

Sally Ann smiled to herself, her newly discovered courage morphing into confidence. Lifting his hand and kissing his bruised knuckles, she replied "I know..…"


End file.
